Seven Days
by Ki-hori-e-te-ao
Summary: Every Monday the first person to confess their feelings to Naruto could date him for seven days. Despite her feelings Hinata never wanted to confess, of course when she does confess things end up exactly as predicted. Naruto in his defence just wanted love. He always knew it wouldn't be easy. Everyone else is just screaming at the duos insecurities. A story told in six parts.
1. Chapter 1

**Set in a High-school Au.**

* * *

A confident laugh breaks through Konoha Gakuen Class 3-A and seventeen year old Hyuuga Hinata fidgets, fingers pressing against each other. Her head bows lower though her pale lavender orbs flicker to the left, towards the end of her row.

"So what say you Uzumaki-kun? You free to date me this week," A bright haired girl queries with a flirtatious wink.

She stands before Uzumaki Naruto-kun, arms slammed against his desk and posture arrogant

Uzumaki-kun, with his shining azure eyes manages a smile, though it looks parts strained to Hinata's keen eyes.

"Bes' believe it!" He shouts, with wide, exaggerated movement to create a thumbs up.

Hinata sighs softly, feeling her hope dampen that small bit further as she begins chewing on her lip. Her best-friend Inuzuka Kiba notices her anxiety and moves from his chair, getting his bento and lifting some chopsticks with pickled cucumber to her mouth, a crooked grin on his lips. A dark red blush envelops her face as her lips part to consume his sister's delicious cooking. A few teens whisper disapprovingly, but having been criticised for being of mixed descent his whole life, Kiba pays no regard to them.

Behind them, their best-friend Aburame Shino moves his chair closer to Hinata's table and sings the gentle tune to his newest creation.

Smiling brightly, Hinata thinks of how much she loves her best-friends and can't thank Kurenai-sensei enough for the gardening club she created that brought them together all those years ago as children.

* * *

 _Hinata began to like Uzumaki-kun when he was five and she just shy of her fifth birthday._

 _As she was walking home with her very pregnant mother, a flower she had pressed for her father had flipped in the wind and gotten lost in the crowd and snow. Hinata, adamant on giving her father that specific flower pressing, which she had spent all the school week perfecting, ran after the card thoughtlessly._

 _Uzumaki-kun had spotted her searching through the snow, recognising her as his classmate. Despite wearing only some sandals, shorts and a thin, baggy top, he insisted on looking with her. His cheery disposition gave her hope and she hesitantly agreed to his help, perhaps looking at his thick green goggles a little too skeptically._

 _They searched for ten minutes before they found the thin card, buried between a street pole and some inches of thick snow. Awkwardly giving each other a glance, they both realised suddenly that they had no idea where they were, so they stood around each other for another ten following, pacing half-heartedly to where Uzumaki-kun insisted was the more familiar surroundings of their town._

 _Through the duration of their walk, Hinata had bit her lip and played brave, though she was obviously scared, wondering where her mother was. Uzumaki-kun, noting her discomfort had managed to weave a fantastic story about giant frogs and ninjas and she'd felt a lot less lonely with him there._

 _When her mother found them, she insisted on taking Uzumaki-kun home and Hinata had forced her mother's much too large scarf on him._

 _When he'd thanked her sheepishly, a blush consumed her face and she'd finally realised she had gotten her first crush._

* * *

Hinata giggles softly as her and the boys head to Ichiraku, it was nearing 10pm Sunday and Ichiraku was the only stall they frequent and knew were still open at this time. They have school tomorrow, however Shino had scored his first regular gig at the Forest of Death, a wild nightclub scene that Anko-sensei had shares in.

Between her and Shino, Kiba continues his grandeur gestures as he recounts his fight with his sister's latest boyfriend.

To the left Shino mutters insults under his breath, barely caught in the still alive night-life of Konoha. Hinata feels happiness engulfs her as they stroll into the stall the were seeking out. Things had been strangely fleeting as of late, with it being their final year at school, she couldn't help but be overwhelmed with the idea that they'd have to split up.

"Hey, hope you guys have had a goodnight," Ayame-san greets as they enter.

In synch they reply positively, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

All of Hinata's steadily built contention however, fades as she gazes at the scene before her. Uzumaki-kun and his latest girlfriend. It shouldn't surprise her, Uzumaki-kun worked here after all, however part of her still hoped he wouldn't be in.

" 'm sorry, guess I couldn't find love wid'cha," Uzumaki-kun apologises.

Shino orders for them as they sit at a table some ways away from Uzumaki-kun and Tayuya-san, the girlfriend of the week.

Uzumaki-kun's face shows true regret at his word, another pain to Hinata's heart as she wonders why Uzumaki-kun agrees to these events when they hurt him so much so.

Tayuya-san gives him a fleeting smirk.

"It's fine cutie, I understand the rules," She said, leaning to place a chaste kiss against his tan cheek.

Hinata said nothing of the ordeal, and continues to say nothing even as Uzumaki-kun caught sight of them and the ever-polite, if silent Shino offers him a chair. Still dressed in his work garbs, he languidly sits in the chair near them and offers a bright smile, mentioning in passing that he's just clocked off.

Kiba rolls his eyes at the blond and Hinata pushes her feelings down, attempting to let her happiness with her friends rule over. It won out eventually, somewhere between Uzumaki-kun snorting accidentally whilst inhaling his sixth bowl of ramen and Shino attempting to state his displeasure at the idea of paying for dinner.

* * *

 _Hinata fell for Uzumaki-kun when he was five._

 _The rest of her generation were 13 before they caught on to how wonderful he was, and even then it wasn't right._

 _She fell for his kindness, for his bright smiles and the way he tended the flowers Iruka-sensei planted when he thought no one was looking. How his hands were warm, how he still had her mother's long, pale red scarf. How his japanese was rough, yet endearing in the same sense, so much more real than the proper, polite form her father taught her._

 _The other girls fell in love with his cheeky grins, his mischief filled gaze and how he started his growth spurt, muscles beginning to develop. They fell in love with the idea of being with 'The Amazing Naruto-kun', best friend to the brooding Uchiha Sasuke-san and the super popular, extraordinarily smart Haruno Sakura-san._

 _She hated how, despite everyone that teased him for being a failing student, he was very aware of why people claimed to love him._

 _She hated how he embraced their twisted version of love, but was still oblivious and unaccepting to the like she possessed for him. Eventually he accepted the so-called love so much so, that a rumour turned truth occurred. On the Monday of every week, the first girl to confess to Uzumaki-kun got to date him until he told them he didn't fall in love with them._

 _The attempts began as hopeful, him wooing the girls, but steadily they rejected his kind heart. His smile dampened, turned a touch less genuine with every failed relationship and Hinata yearned to confess to him, to tell him that she could one day love him like they failed to do so; however, Hinata knew firmly he couldn't love her._

 _So instead she stood in the shadows, that awkward girl from school. Instead Hinata watched Uzumaki-kun date many, each date feeling like a blade through her torso and a tear in his happiness._

* * *

At school, Hinata does her best to avoid Uzumaki-kun in class. It works because he's usually late and they rarely talk anyway. Doing this for twelve years is how she's avoided confessing to him. It's also how she's avoided bonding with him.

However today her and Uzumaki-kun were the only ones left on clean-up duty, Shino and Kiba had skipped early, after helping with the sweeping and rubbish clean up. They'd invited her, though she suspected it was more of a courtesy invite and she couldn't bare bailing out and leaving Naruto alone. Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san were in a surprise student council meeting, so they left ten minutes into cleaning.

She quietly organises the desks while Uzumaki-kun pretends to clean the chalk-dusters, though she was very aware he was goofing off.

"Ne, Hinata-chan whaddya do if a dinosaur tried t'make us his human puppets?" Uzumaki-kun questions.

Hinata very carefully does not show her fright at the rather strange, boisterous question and is silent, pondering how to answer such a random question.

"Is there a specific reason he's enslaving us into human puppetry?" Her voice is still barely above a whisper, but practice and friendship had vanquished her childhood stutter.

He hmms, brow raising slightly. Hinata accurately assumes it is because most people wouldn't deign him with a serious answer.

"He's jealous o' humans, since he's the only one a his kind left, so I dunno, he's like, compensatin' or sumthin'."

Hinata stops what she's doing, obviously as tired as Uzumaki-kun and unwilling to let their first, decent conversation in years just disappear.

"I'm not sure, but if I could I'd let someone do the hard work of bringing him down, then I'd make a big bowl of dinosaur soup," she nods her head at the outrageous exclamation, mentally thanking Shino for helping her talking skills, by dragging her and Kiba to all of his gigs since they were 13.

Uzumaki-kun chuckles, sitting atop of Kakashi-sensei's small, yet tall desk. Hinata giggles at the sight of Uzumaki-kun, almost spilling from the podium, legs not even touching the ground.

"Not gonna fight ya self!? Shame, always thought ya Hyuga's were tough," he voices louder and more carefree than before.

Vaguely Hinata thanks Sui-san, a performer from Mizugakure, who fine-tuned her speaking skills during one too many run-ins the past two years.

"I'd be too busy shooing away his marriage proposal to fight, plus, can't get my hands bloody, hard to become a solicitor if they are," she voices lightly, humour tinging her voice, though her mind is still flooded with anxiety.

She steadies her breath and waits for a reply, putting the last chair into correct placing and standing before Uzumaki-kun, fingers looped behind her back. The anxiety is still alive and well, despite her calm facade.

Uzumaki-kun snorts at her genuinely, his smile less strained than she had seen in a long while, "Too right Hinata-chan, 'm sure guys fall t' yer every whim."

It is said good-naturedly, so she pulls a tight smile on her face, even as she feels a slight pang of sadness at the very untrue statement.

"Did'ya wanna get sumthin' t' eat after this?" He queries, smile still bright.

Hinata hesitates, smiling softly as she nods and murmurs, "That would be nice."

* * *

As the days pass by slowly, Hinata resents that she had ever agreed to that first dinner with Naruto-kun. It was an amazing night and Naruto-kun had declared them fast friends.

Their friendship begins tentatively. He walks her home if Kiba and Shino are busy, which generally they're not, so he also takes to just walking home with them when Haruno-san and Uchiha-san were busy, which generally they were.

They send each other random text messages and Naruto-kun manages to make weirder scenarios each time.

 _From NaruUzumaki_

 _What if a talking slug offered you immortality for the price of a can of special-edition cinna-coffee?_

 _From HyugaHinaaa  
_ _  
I'd politely decline, I'd hate living forever! Plus I_ ❤⃛ヾ _(_ _◕‿◕_ _)_ _cinna-coffee!_ _(_ _・_ ___ _・_ _)_ _ノ_ _You know that._

 _From NaruUzumaki  
_ _  
Would you give up your favourite food forever for world peace?_

 _From HyugaHinaaa_

 _But couldn't I give up my three least favourite instead?_ ( _*)_ _ゞ_ _(_ _ノﾟ^_ _ﾟ_ _)_ _ノ_ _･_ _*:._ _｡_ _. ._ _｡_ _.:*_ _･゜ﾟ･_ _*  
_ _Plus, what does World Peace really signify?_

 _From NaruUzumaki_

 _No that's not how it goes (-_-;)_ _・_ _・_ _And hell if I know, I guess everyone's just happy and safe._

 _From HyugaHinaaa_

 _Give it up for a year? Q( `_ _´Q) Also, how unexpectedly eloquent of you Naruto-kun._ _(o¬_ _‿_ _¬o )_

 _From NaruUzumaki_

 _Five years (_ _－_ _‸_ _ლ_ _) and you use way too many emojis_

 _From HyugaHinaaa_

 _Three years! (*^_ _‿_ _^*) (*/u_ _＼_ _*)And you skip too many classes. ¯\\_(_ _ツ_ _)_/¯_

Sometimes there's weekend hangouts, when Naruto-kun doesn't have any dates or he has time off work. Naruto-kun comes to some of Shino's gigs, because even with this new found friendship Hinata hasn't missed a single gig. Nearly everyday after school they stop at the biggest library in town, because Naruto couldn't afford to eat everyday after school and Hinata appreciates the excuse to hang out. Since being friends with her, his grades have gone up 20 or so points. She also walks him to work on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and visits on her free Saturdays.

Kiba teases her mercilessly and both he and Shino mysteriously disappear during group hang outs. Hinata's unsure whether it's a shove for her and Naruto to get together, or an excuse for privacy for them two. Conscious of Naruto not knowing about them, she says nothing about it to him, though she pouts and whines when it's only them three together. She loves how angry they make her, how special her friendships are to her.

It makes everything feel ten times better, because Naruto-kun is more amazing and hilarious and selfless than she ever knew. But it's also ten time worse, because now it's ten times easier to see he's so far out of her league.

* * *

"Hinata-chan! Green carrot or purple strawberries?" Naruto-kun questions from her right.

Kiba sighs as he tends to Akamaru, hiding between the shrubs in the garden like always. Shino sprays his all natural, harmless pesticides he'd been trying to create on some sunflowers in the corner of her view. So far none of his sprays had managed to do more than make the plants wet, sticky and slightly annoying for the bugs he was trying conscientiously save, but if he was going to major in entomology he wasn't going to let these small roadblocks affect him. Neither are surprised at Naruto-kun's increasingly random questions or his unnecessary presence, now-a-days he was an almost natural extension to their family-like friendship.

"Purple strawberries, I think they'd have a more interesting flavour," she answers as she digs her gloved fingers through the soil to pull out weeds.

Naruto-kun, she can feel more than see, nods from behind her, eyes probably still glued to the compost they were making. He had a knack for plants, though he hadn't dare tend to one along with them. He probably thought they'd judge him for being an able gardiner. A stupid notion in itself, but who was she to talk about confessions?

The group were all on the roof, dressed in too big, raggedy tops and pants Kiba had found, with thick gloves and tools courtesy of Shino scattered about them.

Kiba again rolls his eyes and with a smirk, turns to look at Shino. He indicates that Shino walk behind him and though usually polite and logical, Shino had a hidden mischief inside of him that his best-friends knew about all too well.

Sneaking to the hose, Kiba swiftly faces it towards Hinata and Naruto-kun. It's alive in seconds and he howls with laughter, Akamaru barking enthusiastically as Hinata shrieks and attempts to use Naruto-kun as a shield from the cold spray of water.

Naruto-kun laughs heartily, unmoving as he forces Hinata before him to take the brunt force of gushing water. Water soaks her large grey top and baggy khaki shorts, but her face gleams nevertheless.

"Aiish, Kiba turn it off," Hinata tries to shout, but a fit of giggles interrupt her.

Almost complying, the water stops, however Kiba looks at it with confusion and dread. Hinata advances as Kiba hits the hose violently, nozzle faced towards him in desperation and Naruto-kun falls to the ground in laughter, eyes trained behind Kiba.

An innocent whistle fills the air as Shino takes his foot off of the garden hose, the water hitting Kiba smack bam in the face. Hinata dies of giggles and Naruto-kun watches her, unsure of why his heart feels lighter the brighter her smile becomes.

* * *

Naruto-kun had bought his latest date, Karui-san, with him to Shino's gig in Suna. Shino had placed first in a regional music composition competition and Karui-san, girlfriend of the week thought it unfair that two of her days with Naruto-kun were taken because they were travelling to watch the National comps.

Hinata tries to push away the awful jealousy that creeped into her heart for Shino's sake, though she was far more withdrawn than usual, something Naruto-kun had noticed on their car trip down. Hinata tries to be polite, though the frigidity of her interaction with Naruto-kun and Karui-san was evident to those who knew of her feelings.

She hates how petty she's being, her father would disapprove of her attitude. Karui-san is a nice girl, she's fun to run with during P.E as they give heated and competitive glance to one another. The only other girl who could keep their pace was Haruno-san, who didn't like running in the first place.

The trip is awesome, Uchiha-san manages to get the older Uchiha-san, his cousin, to drive him down the day Shino performs. More for Naruto-kun's sake than Shino's. Just the same they'd agree to drive him back to Konoha.

The concert is huge, the stadium constantly switching between roars and stunned silences, phones out at all angles to video everything.

Per usual, Shino is a careful, precise monster on stage. He tears through the notes leaving a chill in the air, but all the same she feels nothing but proud. Proud for her best friend and all his achievements.

Shino's fingers move like magic against the keys of the piano, him adjusting the notes effortlessly. With not even a change in beat he lets the note hang in the air. A brush of his foot confirms the recorder replaying the final notes as he changes instruments. The electric guitar loudly riffs through the air as the tempo quickens. If he could, Shino would add as many instruments as possible, a drum kit, a flute, a sax and a cello. He loved instruments, but the recorder can only do so much so he's limited himself to two instruments. Even so she can feel the happiness and heart in throat joy at the composition.

The song is loud and violent, yet somehow happy. Uniquely Shino in its inability to be anything but unique.

Shino's always managed to say far more in music than in words, this certain piece Hinata dubbed 'Blueberry Cream Dreams' because she had been hungry for blueberries the day he'd first rehearsed this in front of her. Kiba was lucky enough to had heard it a week before during their private 'hangouts.' She would come up with better, actual names, but Shino much preferred his Untitled 1-31, so she always dubbed them ridiculous names.

(Fun Fact: The more days it took for him to show her after Kiba, the more ridiculous the name. Hence 'Backwards Bugs Dreadful Dogs, Snakes And Friends Who Lie Horribly' or 'Untitled 19', the song he produced when him and Kiba became him and Kiba. It had taken the duo three weeks to tell her, though she had known approximately a week before either of them how they felt about one another.)

Kiba claps with her as he finishes, both of them whopping louder than anyone else, ecstatic of how far Shino's come since his first recital to them when he was 8 and too shy to finish the whole song. Her heart sings because she never thought she could love someone as much as she did her family, but her best friends are two people who she wouldn't ever give up.

The bright, gleaming smile falling on her face is a testament to that love, and she sways to Shino's music, hips alluring in her baggy white boyfriend jeans and her too long, somewhat tight grey top. Light flashes around her, because the competition is strictly for youth and the vibe is more relaxed than she could ever have hoped for.

To her side Kiba is equally as loose, grinning at her softly like he only ever grins to her and Shino.

Moving unconsciously, the two hold hands and dance as if it's just her, Shino and Kiba in his room. There's something comforting about having her two boys so close to her heart.

Shino can't see them in the crowd, but hearing Kiba's hoots and Hinata's screams, he shreds the stage, a stunned and appreciative silence taking over the stadium.

Kiba and Hinata don't quiet down too much, even then.

The whole night, Naruto-kun watches her, feeling a sense of sadness as she ignores him. He doesn't understand why. Nor does he understand his sudden, biting anger at Kiba. Karui watches him watch her and rolls her eyes, taking his hands to remind him who he was with for the week.

No one has ever accused Karui of being selfless.

* * *

That night, with the high of the performance behind them and the injustice of Shino placing third, they jump into Hyuuga Neji's large pickup truck loudly. Kiba in shot-gun, Uchiha-san across from Shino and her, Karui-san and Naruto-kun squished in back.

Karui-san is quick to fall asleep and before long, Kiba joins in snoring, Shino having hushed conversations with Neji-nii and Uchiha-san glancing down at his phone.

Naruto-kun makes a rude gesture at Uchiha-san, who cannot see him and Hinata's eyes widen, a blush threatening her face. They laugh quietly, sharing silly faces and mouthing inside jokes. Hinata's laugh tainted with a tone of disbelief, eyes incredibly wide and awake in spite of their 6AM wake up call that morning.

Their small tumble of laughter shake their bodies, and in turn, Karui-san's. Karui-san falls to her shoulder and Naruto-kun is seconds away from moving her, having concluded incorrectly that Hinata held something against Karui-san. Hinata shakes her head softly, smiling at Naruto over Karui-san's bright red hair and Naruto smiles a gentle, unfamiliar, wonderful smile back. It's beautiful.

Hinata realises abruptly she is too far in-like, that she's fallen so deep she might reach love. May already be there.

The thought terrifies her as well as fills her with a naive sense of hope.

* * *

It's one day as they're dying of laughter on the roof months after that one night made them fast friends that Hinata confesses to her feelings. Naruto-kun with spilt milk down his chest and her with a half-eaten onigiri in her trembling hands. The joke she'd made is long since forgotten, but the humor still stains the air.

She watches as he leans into her, hands clenched around his stomach and smile brighter than the stars. Their shoulders bump together and she feels. Feels that glimmer of appreciation and happiness enter her and quiets down considerably, warmth pooling in her body, spreading to her fingertips.

It's unconsciously that Hinata murmurs, "I think I'm in love with you," to him.

He catches her in the steadying silence, turning to face her fully as his arms fell to his side and his face crumples.

The laughter stills.

"Wha…?" He asks, uncharacteristically quiet.

Steeling herself, Hinata takes a breath, opens her mouth and says in a stronger tone, "I think I love you."

If she doesn't say it now, she'll never say it again.

He gulps, fingers running through his hair aggressively.

Hinata needs to say something, anything but she can feel her anxiety pool inside her, the idea of rejection frightening her dearly. Even as she speaks it is quiet.

"I need you to know that I have feelings for you and I hope so badly you will accept them."

She bows, face red at these words, gaze locking onto the floor.

"I- I can't accept your feelings," he says overly polite and careful with his tone, eyes sad, before fleeing.

Something inside of Hinata breaks in that moment. She doesn't know why it hurts, Naruto-kun was never hers to claim. Naruto-kun was never hers to love and it would be selfish to force him to date her like so many other girls had done. But she thinks she does loves him, maybe madly or truly and definitely hopelessly.

All around Hinata she feels the embarrassment and shame consume her, she drops to her knees in something like despair, something like shattered hope.

Almost mockingly, she hears that sly voice in her head, reminding her that it was inevitable. Naruto-kun would never love her like that. The thought is cold comfort.

* * *

 **Hey, thank you for reading!**

 **You might know this, you might not but Gakuen translates somewhat into like Academy or School.**

 **So... I'm starting to get back into Naruto...ish. Admittedly this story was inspired by the BL movie of the same title, albeit very loosely. Either way, this story isn't finished and I 100% intend to finish it. If I can, within the next year lol. I just need the words to actually make sense.**

 **Also NaruHina isn't really my favourite pairing, hasn't been for years but I'm trying to get back on board. In my own, twisted way. So there's heavy NaruHina hints in the story. There's also:**

 **Team 8 being close as family bc I can. Hints at (blatant rlly) Shino x Kiba. Kiba being half-foreign, in the fact his dad's not from Konoha.**

 **Weird with emotions Naruto. Player/Oblivious Naruto. (But like not purposely cruel obviously) Naruto having a green thumb and being an orphan/adopted child.**

 **Canonically!Low-self-esteemHinata. Weird with emotions Hinata as well. Slight Suigetsu and Hinata friendship for literally no reason except I could.**

 **Anyway see you next time, when we get an insight into Naruto's life!**


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto manages to get through the whole school day without once speaking to Hinata again. He skips out on walking home with them, head ducked down as he walks right past the waving Kiba and the waiting Shino. He says nothing at Kiba's surprised exclamation and Shino's boring stare. It occurs much later that he may have pushed Kiba in his haste to leave. But he doesn't care too much.

He just walks home, head thankfully blank.

Each step is different, uneven and rushed. Wind flaps around him and his azure eyes stay down, legs moving faster than they ever had in P.E, though he loves that class.

Something inside of him is violently stirring, a deep anger and his face is uncharacteristically stoic.

Damn he needed to snap out of this but he couldn't.

Calm down Naruto!

* * *

" _Ano- Uzumaki-kun…I've been watching you for a while and I- I'm in love with you, so please accept my feelings."_

" _You're not who I expected you to be."_

" _I thought you were cooler, like Sasuke-kun."_

" _Do you even love me?"_

" _You're dumber than I thought you'd be."_

" _You're boring."_

" _I don't know why I thought dating Naruto-kun would be a good idea, they were right, you're only good for a week."_

* * *

It's cold outside. Too cold. He feels angry. Devastated. Used. Everything around him is broken. He's broken. Naruto's never hated as much as he's hated in this moment. Not his parents who abandoned him, or Mizuki who abused him or the stupid orphanage runner who let Mizuki get away with hitting Naruto.

He was always so fucking useless and of course Hinata would just fucking–

Oh fuck, tears cloud his view and his fingers curl so tightly blood begins falling on the pavement.

How could she?

The wind pushes against him strongly, but he is numb to the cool air.

Azure eyes storm, a heavy chill to them.

Just get home, that's all he needs to do.

* * *

 _Naruto's only ever had two forever best friends. Sasuke and Sakura. Sure, he's on great terms with so many people. Gaara messages him until three am some nights and Inari always wishes him a happy birthday and Konohamaru does anything he can for him. Shikamaru and him might hang whenever their paths meet, but he's only ever had Sasuke and Sakura always with him._

 _(Except for when they weren't a voice whispers and he shoves it away with a smile.)_

 _Sasuke and Sakura to buy him lunch when his pay hasn't gone through yet, or when he's flooded with bills he and Iruka can barely pay and he pretends to buy food at the cafeteria so his adoptive father doesn't worry about him, but really the money goes to more bills. It's been them three for so long._

 _Then, Hinata._

 _Hinata who answers the questions that Sasuke 'tch's' at and Sakura rolls her eyes at. Hinata whose smile makes him breathless and ecstatic in ways he's never felt before. Hinata who likes hanging out in his shabby apartment over her estate, unlike Sakura who avoids his place like the plague and Sasuke who automatically plans their days at his. Hinata who loves randomly hiking through the woods with him. She's there to run through browning leaves and jump over forgotten shrubs and have adventures within the part of Konoha that most people forgot about._

 _When before there was no one to move with the fast, curious pace Naruto and his jittery brain moved at, there is now her._

 _Her who goes on runs with him for no reason. Who takes trains and busses with him for his comfort, though he knows she has a chauffeur and limo to her beck and call. Who makes him food without that gleam of pity in her eyes or that curl at her lips that demand something of him in return. Who's the reason he's passing his final year with high 80's, instead of barely there 60's._

 _And somehow within seven months it becomes NarutoandHinata, HinataandNaruto, her presences so tightly wound in his that he can't remember the life he lived before her._

 _Before her gentle reprimand of his tendency to forget about schoolwork. Before her good morning and good night messages. Can't visualise what it's like to work and not see her in a booth, tea and books in tow. How did he survive without her always being there for him when he's bored or stressed or frustrated with how stupid he feels. What was life like without her constantly reassuring him he can and he will, when Naruto finds it hard to swallow and say the same things to himself._

 _Hinata is everything to him._

 _She's beautiful. She's sunshine, the warm scent of ramen and bliss he smells when he goes to work. The fuzzy feeling that makes him warm when he's cold. She's his best friend and he loves having her around. Even if half the time he's sharing her with Kiba and Shino. But Kiba and Shino are almost cool if they weren't so– there. Like always there with Hinata, it's a little annoying._

 _But he's never had a friend, especially a girl one, who treats him like Hinata._

 _Like he matters for more than his muscle, like there's more to him than his ridiculously attractive, obnoxiously intelligent best friends. And Sakura and Sasuke don't count, because they're family at this point._

 _And he doesn't like to talk about it, but there were those years in between when shit happened. But he's like, forgiven them, it just stings sometimes to remember how lonely life can be._

 _Except, with Hinata he's never lonely, because she texts. She sends songs. She leaves notes. Hinata's there all the time, even when she isn't._

 _He'd felt so happy with Hinata's friendship– How could she use him, just like everyone else?_

She confessed on a Monday.

* * *

Somehow, Naruto manages to make the trip home quickly, ignoring Iruka as he walks to his room. He never ignores Iruka, not since Iruka adopted him from that shitty orphanage all those years ago, but he doesn't want to talk. Talking would make it more real. If he spoke, then it'd all come rushing back to him and–

" _I need you to know that I have feelings for you and I hope so badly you will accept them."_

 _She bows, face red at these words, gaze locking onto the floor._

' _She doesn't know the real him. If she did she wouldn't say such a blatant lie,' he thinks._

" _I- I can't accept your feelings," he says overly polite, so overwhelmed by the crushing pit gnawing at him, the pit where his stomach should be._

She confessed on a Monday.

She was like everyone else, searching for those seven days he's dreaded giving away.

A sudden sob forces its way through his mouth, loud. Almost a growl. There's a dark, angry spot inside of him, furious and humiliated and betrayed. He thought they were friends– How could she?

So many girls confessed to him, put him on a pedestal and expected him to do the same for them, as if he could fall for them in seven days. As if his feelings were so simple. But he bared through it, grit his teeth and searched for someone to love– searched for someone who deemed him worthy of love.

He'd gone through the ashes of crumbled relationship, each failed girlfriend a reminder that he's unlovable. That no one truly cares.

Naruto's never mattered to them.

They wanted muscles and bragging rights and he didn't care, as long as he could love them and they could love him.

He didn't care.

Because if he had to take a thousand wounds to find the one worth them all, then he would. Because if someone could love him, then maybe he could love himself and fuck– He hated it when his thoughts went all weird and dark on him. But- But Hinata was different.

Had always been different for him, ever since that cool winter almost thirteen years ago when she'd taken his hand and given him a scarf he'd treasured ever since.

He crumples to his knees, heart screaming and he can't find it in him to answer Iruka, even as the man he thinks of as a father makes his way into the room. The only sounds are his grunts of hurt that he so badly tries to hold back.

The cries echo like a pained animal, mauled and wishing for death. Boys don't cry he thinks, they can't cry. He shouldn't be crying, he's so damn weak and he hates it, hates it, hates it, hates _himself_.

Naruto's dad holds him through it all.

Why does it hurt so much more this time?

* * *

 _Uzumaki Naruto is an idiot. A major idiot. He's also a little selfish, point being him and Hinata have detention now. And it's most definitely his fault._

 _He may or may not have convinced Hinata to sneak out for lunch with him, his pay because Iruka had finally been offered an official Vice Principal offer after practically running the elementary school he's worked at since Naruto was eight. Celebratory lunch should be with Iruka, but Hinata's smile– either way he'd reasoned he could always do dinner with Iruka, especially since he worked Ayame's hours last week on Sunday and Wednesday._

 _Lunch had totally been worth it. Hinata throwing shy but grateful glances over her bowls of ramen. It was honestly so cool how she could eat him under the table, though she preferred not to._

 _He liked watching her eat. Her face always complimented the food, basking in the taste though she blushed whenever he stared for too long._

 _Sakura was always tellingly guilty whenever she ate, like the half a bowl she'd scoffed down were disappointed teachers and she a lazy child. Sasuke never really held a facial while eating, or at least not since they started High-School. Back before though, he used to always look bored yet content, it had been a long time since then._

 _He shook his head to rid the thoughts and smiled at Hinata, letting words fall from his mouth, no matter how odd. Like always Hinata never thought it odd and for a second, Naruto's never been so at peace with life._

 _After only five bowls they left. Laughably, he had just managed to remember to leave room for dinner tonight with Iruka, where they'd splurge their money's worth. Hinata in turn had eaten three, under his constant insistence and had threaten to pay for hers and his if he made her eat another bowl. He gratefully took his victory in silence, them walking back to school._

 _During the jumping of the school fence however, Sai had found them though and he was the one person Naruto couldn't convince to let them off with a warning. Why the disciplinary committee had permission to pass out detention without a teacher signing off, he wasn't completely sure. Probably just Kakashi-sensei being lazy._

 _So here they were, sitting after school. Him flipping pencils and her diligently studying._

 _He'd always admired how into school she seemed. If it wasn't for Iruka encouraging his childhood aspiration of becoming Hokage, Head of Military like the man who so often visited him at the orphanage, he'd have dropped out of school and become a Ramen Apprentice at 15._

 _Shikamaru had dropped out come high-school, but he'd managed to land an internship with the district council nevertheless, so Naruto couldn't really compare them. They only shared one thing in common, school was never their thing._

 _But Hinata lives for this sort of thing._

 _She ties with Sakura and Sasuke for first their year, all three being notable for differing subject. Hinata's being her language classes, trigonometry and geography, Sakura having all the sciences and calculus down pat and Sasuke being the algebra, calculus, history, art and literature maniac._

 _Hinata's in choir, track and judo, whereas Naruto despite being able and recruited to multiple sports clubs, is too tied with work to do much. She manages to juggle studying, and her clubs and her friends without seeming as frazzled as Sakura or as withdrawn as Sasuke gets sometimes. Though she had forgoed any student council responsibilities or leadership positions, no matter the offers._

 _He stares at her in amazement. She's so amazing and he kicks himself for never noticing sooner._

" _Are you alright Naruto-kun?" She asked, voice like bells reaching his ear._

 _He smiles at her softly, "Yeah, 'm jus' bored."_

 _Naruto aborts his shrug and neck scratch of awkwardness at the last minute. Her brow raises and she looks around, before slyly pulling her phone out of her pocket._

 _From HyugaHinaaa_

 _Do some work, (/\\\ ,*)-Sensei will be back soon._

 _The glance she gives him is both reprimanding and fondly exasperated. He grins, an unexpected blush consuming his face– Damn, it suddenly got way hot in here!_

 _To HyugaHinaaa_

 _(/\\\,*)-Sensei, more like (/\\\ .*)_ zzzzzzzzz _)-Sensei._

 _Hinata rolls her eyes, a bright smile covering her face and the sun hits her like a glimmering halo. His breath halts in his chest. Bless the fool who allowed someone so beautiful in his life._

* * *

Naruto goes to bed without dinner, even as Iruka tries to firmly, yet softly coax him from his room.

His bed is big and lonely, it reminds of Hinata's head against his thigh as he taught her the controls of his new video games, gifts from Sasuke. Who probably got them as a present from Itachi and wanted them gone on principal of Complicated Shit Naruto actively ignores. He'd long since stopped feeling bad for Itachi, mostly because as petty as he can be, Sasuke never hates anyone without a valid reason. Oh he can be a dickbag to many, but he actively hated few people and Itachi had managed to score himself on that list.

Flipping over Naruto sees her sitting at his desk studying, arm to arm with him as she revised and he relearned content from class, because his teachers weren't as thorough as her. The room still smelt vaguely of her perfume, because they had gone for a run in the park last time and went back to his for a shower afterwards, him using Iruka's room to change into during her shower and her using his room after. It had only been three days ago, but it felt much longer. An eternity maybe, the difference of time between happiness and the absence of happiness. The day just drags.

And with it the next.

And the next.

Naruto's day's blurred into grey days, the contempt, the self-disgust slowly festering away at his stomach as he works more hours, skips more school days.

Oh he hated hating himself because it was weird, was frustrating. Dark, yet painfully familiar. Goes to show part of him had never truly stopped hating himself.

Hinata doesn't talk to him, the one time they manage to meet each other's eyes he full-body flinched at her. It seemed near impossible that days ago they'd walked side-by-side so thoroughly together it seemed odd to consider seeing them apart; the sight of her physically sickens him. Naruto can't– can't talk to her without wanting to hurt himself, finger pulling away at his body with sharp pinches.

Kiba however tries to talk to him, but he freezes him out with brisk walking and shoulder shoves. Doesn't glance at his messages anymore, leaves them unread.

Shino shares perplexed, pensive and skin-crawl inducing looks with him across the classroom, but Naruto finds something to lose focus in.

He wants to forget ever feeling like he deserved more. Wants to stick to himself again, like it was before when he was an orphan without any parent. Or when Iruka got sick and he just began working and neither of his best-friends were around to help him through it.

Fuck being happy, he just wants the world to stop screwing with his hopes, taking him on a forced rollercoaster journey.

Naruto wants it all to stop. So he stops trying.

He avoids Hinata. Except, it's not just her and their memories he avoids.

But also Sasuke, for he's sick of having someone who could read him so easily. It's Sakura and him no longer wanting to have someone he could rely on.

He avoids Kiba who he pulled pranks with, Shino who he ate lunch with when everyone else was busy with club activities. Naruto avoids random afternoons at Shikamaru's, the green grass rapidly losing the imprint of his body. Ignores Chouji's emails because eating for anything but absolute hunger no longer appeals to him. And maybe if he stops hanging with Sai and Ino, he can fade into Konoha's background. If that happens then Konohamaru can stop looking at him with those big brown eyes, searching for someone Naruto doesn't think he's strong enough to be anymore.

And screw Neji, Tenten and Lee for being stronger than he is and so what if he's not a twelve year old tryna fight his way to respect! He can be angry, he's allowed to be angry... Right?

If he can just be distant, isolated even, maybe he could go back to being five years old in an orphanage surrounded by dirty looks. Before he had anyone to lose. Alone and cold, just like he belongs. Just like his parents left him. Just like Iruka might leave him one day.

Of course he doesn't say this. Doesn't show this hostile darkness swimming around inside of him. Still smiles at the people he called friends, even if it's more forced with Kiba and them of course. Naruto is still Naruto.

Loud, bright, proud with a smile a million watts too bright and a dad who adores him with tired eyes.

A dad who's been getting sick lately and it's been nearly three years, but he's knows remission isn't a thing that always lasts forever.

Naruto's fine even with friends who worried a tad too much about grades. He's cheery. No one can say otherwise no matter how forced his smile becomes. Or how he never starts or actively keeps a conversation with his friends going anymore.

And if he's sick of being Naruto? Everyone else's Naruto who dates girls looking for a love he obviously doesn't deserve or need or even wants anymore. Well, suddenly he's okay with being alone. Okay with saying no.

The days will still pass but as long as his azure eyes are on his work or his phone; then he can forget Hinata being there and pretend he doesn't read their messages or type the beginning of the email that should answer everything. If he can stop stiffening at the scent of her perfume, a soft summer breeze, then he can finally, maybe move on.

If his thoughts can stop being the opening to a crime scene and his happiness the victim, then he can finally just move on.

And maybe Naruto's never fallen in love, but this, this he knows without a doubt, is what heartbreak feels like.

* * *

 _Iruka had cancer._

 _The thought floated around Naruto like gas trapped in his stomach, unable to leave no matter how hard he tried to force the thought away. With it were a tirade of everything currently wrong in Naruto's life._

 _Sasuke ranaway._

 _Sakura wouldn't talk to him._

 _Gaara and Lee were both in comas._

 _The old man who visited him in the orphanage was dead,_

 _So many bad things were happening and Naruto was stuck at work, because Itachi was looking for Sasuke, Tsunade-obaa-chan was looking after Gaara and Lee and Iruka was at home. His dad couldn't do anything, because his chemo wasn't scheduled for a few more weeks in the least. Maybe a month. He'd visited the funeral, a feat Konohamaru had appreciated, but effectively, Naruto could do nothing. Nothing to help that is. The feeling of helplessness left him antsy._

 _His fingers trembled if he kept still too long, so he had them constantly washing, drying and stacking the dishes available. Ayame had tried to give him the day off, but the thought sickened him faster than a strike of lightening. Naruto couldn't do absolutely nothing._

 _His hands stilled and Naruto forgot how to breathe. Worthless, can't do anything, weak. The bad thoughts flooded him, though Naruto was strong, even he was susceptible to the effect of words. Trying to gulp, he felt suddenly breathless. Like he could just fall to the ground and none of this really mattered – damn._

 _Cursing, Naruto tried desperately to wash the dishes in the too hot water, fingers wet, slippery and clumsy. Something needed to be done- he needed to be needed damnit– needed to not be so useless._

 _Shuddering a soft breath, Naruto thoughtlessly clenched his fingers in the murky water. A gasp sounded soon after._

" _Shit!" he cursed loudly._

 _Blood pooled from his finger, crimson droplets against bright red skin._

" _Are you alright Naruto-kun?"_

 _Looking up, the fourteen-year-old's brows furrowed. The old man and Ayame had approved of Shion as a friend almost a month ago, even with the transition of friend to girlfriend though, they'd usually never let anyone in the back. It was undoubtedly a testament to their concern for him._

" _Yeah, yeah 'm fine Shion-chan," he replied grabbing a nearby cloth to clot his bleeding palm. His reply was clearly not to the real question she was asking._

 _Tsk-ing the teenage girl walked right in, pulling a bandage from what Naruto swore was her magic bag. It contained far too much for a small messenger bag, but he thanked her for it._

 _Without bothering to talk, Shion set about disinfecting Naruto's palm and wrapping it in gauze. Why she had either item baffled him, but after she had managed to pull a whole, constructed bo staff from the tiny bag, he'd stopped questioning anything about Shion. She was magic like that and a fond smile crept on his face. It had been five days so far, but he really liked Shion. She was polite, but fierce. Level-headed yet opinionated. His smile grew softer as she slowly finished up her task, head tilting up to give him a soft look._

 _She had such beautiful eyes._

" _Naruto-kun," she whispered taking her hand and pulling it through his hair, gently guiding his head towards hers._

 _They kissed fleetingly, Naruto's third kiss and second one to have happened while dating someone. Where Naruto smiled as they pulled back, Shion frowned her hand moving to cup his cheek._

 _Their foreheads barely touched, her forcing his head down the slightest. He'd just started to get taller after all, however it remained that there wasn't a notable difference in height unless they stood like this._

 _Giving his girlfriend a worried stare, Naruto's hands fell limply to his sides. Fear bubbled in his stomach, her beautiful eyes held something. Something he really didn't want to see, not that he could pinpoint what that something was exactly._

" _You 'right, Shion-chan?"_

 _She choked out a sob, an obvious answer._

" _What'd I-"_

" _You didn't," she interrupted shaking her head vigorously, ", you've done nothing but- I just… I can't date you anymore...Not when I don't love you."_

 _Hurt flashed through cerulean eyes, before a guarded happiness revealed itself._

" _That's- That's cool, fine Shion-chan, 'really hope you the best, huh," he encouraged, body moving to duck back into the back kitchen area._

" _Naruto please don't-"_

 _She reached out to grab his arm, but he pulled it away abruptly. He couldn't see the hurt in her stare as her fingers came out empty._

"' _S fine," , he cheered gaze averted, "Honestly, I just... need t' get back t' work, but I'll see ya 'round," Naruto finished with a huge thumbs up and a wicked grin, looking past her ardently._

 _Shion whimpered before walking away briskly, arms crossed over her stomach to hold herself._

 _It aggrieved her to admit, but if she couldn't love Naruto, whom she adored dearly, she could only wonder who else would ever be worth her love. No one came to mind._

 _Naruto to his credit, grit his teeth and moved on with his life. There were after all, more important things to focus on. If his hopes of ever finding love dampen a little, that was neither here nor there.  
_

 _Tomorrow it would be Saturday and though he had school, surely Iruka would allow him to stay back and care for him, just for the day._

 _However even if Iruka didn't agree, he could deal with it._

* * *

Naruto begins to piece his life together again.

Work slots into place, schoolwork and homework focused on more due to his recent abundance of free time. With the dating aspect and the friend aspect of his life forcibly shoved aside, he'd only have free time.

He learns to cope. Covers his heart in armor and smiles a little more, with a bit less force behind the action. And he's alone and lonely and Not Okay, but for now, he could manage.

He was Uzumaki Naruto, he could handle anything.

* * *

 **Next up in a series of unfortunate events, will the Baudelaire children survive the next convoluted plan of Count Olaf? Why is it snowing? Is Elsa really Count Olaf's Mother? Did this author truly just give up on Author notes? Tune in to find out.**

 **More seriously, next will be a mix of Shino and Kiba's perspective of this whole mess, revelations that everyone has shitty lives and a steadily more angsty story line than ever intended? Another thing tho, why is Naruto so sad? I feel like I can't characterise to save my life lol. Also revelation, this will be the first time I've written a fic that revolves (mostly) around two characters ending up together, so let's see how low this story can go! Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

_To NarutoUzu-Idiot_

 _Oi you flaked out on us today, you alright?_

 _To NarutoUzu-Idiot_

 _Whatever, we still up for our games night? Hana got me the prequel to Shinobi alliance and I need some kickass gamers to help me clock it!_

 _To NarutoUzu-Idiot_

 _Hey why're you and Hinata acting so weird? Text me._

 _To NarutoUzu-Idiot_

 _Heard the rumours going around school, can we talk?_

 _To NarutoUzu-Idiot_

 _C'mon dude, Nata and Shino are with their dad's for the day, I need company for a run. I'll die without it!_

 _To NarutoUzu-Idiot_

 _Hey, did you hear about Neji? We're at Shion's dad's place to get him sorted, come over to Nata's for the formal shit._

 _To (NarutoUzu-Idiot )THAT ASSHOLE_

 _Man reply my messages, it's been weeks, I though since you showed up at Neji's… Shit, sorry I shouldn't just. Look, whatever happened can be fixed y'know, just come talk to us._

 _To (NarutoUzu-Idiot )THAT ASSHOLE_

 _Okay whatever, text when you feel up to be a friend again, bye, asshole._

 _To Naruto_

 _Kiba has expressed his displeasure at your continued distance, it is imperative that we discuss the unusual circumstances around yours and Hinata's parting. This situation is disrupting our friendships and I fear the consequences it may have. Despite any signals you may have received, I know all three of us will be delighted in reconciling our friendship with you, you have become a dear friend of ours._

 _Neither one of them get a reply._

* * *

With a disappointed sigh Kiba and Shino exchanged glances. Hinata had shown up at Shino's performance fine if not wound up tight, but during it she managed to find a drink. Then another. By the time they find her, she's already well passed tipsy. As of late the free time she did have was spent like so, drunk, faux-happy under the influence. It was not the first nor would it be the last time they'd have to drag her back to Shino's.

Kiba's mum could smell alcohol from a mile away, Hinata's dad would kill her and. Well the brutal truth was, Shino's parent's were never around long enough to notice a drunk Hinata. Or a sober one really. It was rare they'd ever visit their son's room after all.

Through the chill in the air, Shino shudders out a breath ice cold steam lingering in the air. It was an unusually cold night for their warm city.

"C'mon Nata, let's get inside," Kiba whispered tenderly to Hinata, arm slung around her shoulder to keep her gait straight for the most part.

Shino swiftly unlocked his door, holding it open for the duo. Something deep inside of him ached, but he let it go before even trying to figure it out.

Together they walked Hinata to his room, working slowly up the few stairs and even more slowly to his bed.

It was a habitual action, practiced and remembered without really thinking. Years forced into more or less similar predicaments made it so, from stumbling with an exhausted Kiba from track practice or a shaky Shino straight from a gig, at times just them wading into the room softly under the dead of night after sneaking to the movies at midnight. The years they spent together were tightly wound, memories scattered with each other and Shino's room, still too big but somehow warm when the trio occupied it. It had scared Shino for so long, codependency was dangerous for Aburame after all, now however nothing could be changed.

The middle of the large queen sized bed fit Hinata soundly as she giggled, curling up and stretching out like a cat.

Kiba struggled to get her new sneakers off, Shino stubbornly forcing her to sit as he gave her water and wiped her mascara and lipstick off. He held in a sharp gasp as he looked at Hinata's too thin face, she hadn't been eating well obviously, she hadn't been doing anything very healthy honestly. Throwing a an extra large top and shorts her way, Shino averts his eyes to the wall. Pushing away his anger, Kiba stripped and changed into pajama pants in his corner of the room. Soon enough the three were cuddled up in sleeping clothes, Kiba and Shino, fingers laced together and Hinata, voice loud in the quiet apartment.

Softly, her loud voice falls until the three breaths even out and though it was probably weird to an outsider, for people of different genders to share a bed in anything but a platonic manner, it was familiar. Even with Kiba and Shino now KibaandShino, like this the feelings were still the same. Love between the three, but not in the way people suspected or spread rumours about. Love forged by many years at each other sides.

Three best friends together, one sprawled out, legs and arms intertwining with blankets and limbs, another curled safely in middle and the last still, both arms outstretched but body as far away as possible.

* * *

 _(How Kiba finds Hinata and Shino.)_

 _Whispers followed Kiba around more often than they didn't. His too sensitive ears picked up on the rumours and they shaped his life viciously._

 _"I heard his mother's a single mother…"_

 _"...foreign father– why they're so tanned and distinctive looking, left them as soon as he could…"_

 _"...disgraceful, she had a future as a detective…"_

 _Rumours compounding, he had learnt to cope as best as a directionless kid could be expected to cope. Fought bullies who trashed his Ma and sis to his face, bruised his knuckles and fought until at the young age of seven he had a reputation._

 _"...unruly children, the sister's not much better."_

 _The rumours never stopped, just grew._

 _"Abuse they think, too many bruises to explain."_

 _"...bit Asuka the little bastard, nearly scarred her."_

 _And they grow until he's wound up angry at the world, yet still, he can't deny his love of plants. Of gardening. Memories with his older cousin steadily righting his shaky hands._

 _Can't deny needing to do something other than being angry at school, because being without Akamaru still feels weird and school's such an odd concept, even now that he's not been home-schooled for years. Plus mum's been pressuring him to get a hobby and Kurenai-sensei's really nice._

 _"H-h-hi, I-i-I'm H-h-hy-hyu-Hyuuga H-hi-hina–Hinata, I like a-a-animals, pla-plants aaand t-t-training."_

 _She's annoying, her stutter unrelenting, however when their eyes meet she smiles without that stuck-up gleam to her eyes and he pushes down a blush, feeling oddly vulnerable under her penetrating stare._

 _More importantly it's not just her who talks to him, who smiles with him, who treats him like he's more than his skin tone, his name and his heritage._

 _"I am Aburame Shino and I advise that we get along, why? Because we will be in this club for the duration of this year? Why? Because Kurenai-sensei advised so. Why? Because we were the only ones in class who showed an interesting in gardening."_

 _Kiba's blush deepens and feels wrong. Off balance with how earnest the duo were, Hinata fingers pressing self-consciously against each other, Shino with his hands constantly adjusting what surely weren't school admitted sunglasses._

 _"Yeah whatever, I'm Inuzuka Kiba," he growls._

 _(It grows, grows into more than either of the three can ever word.)_

* * *

Hinata is spiralling. Or, for Hinata it's a spiral.

She's been avoiding her manor, with its wide walls, empty corridors. Can't even stomach walking into her room without feeling the oppressive guilt shrouding her. Model Hyuuga she is, she doesn't skip school and her grades are still as good as ever, better in fact.

More often than not Hinata begins to look swallow and whenever Hinata spiralled, few people noticed because to the ignorant observer she spirals upwards. A trick, her friends know.

Grades getting better, spreading herself so thin that free time is a luxury. Teachers are impressed by her enthusiasm to tutor and her sudden spring back into training, despite being rather laxed with judo the past year and a half.

If she's not doing schoolwork, she's tutoring. If she's not tutoring, training. Her free time consisted of the scant minutes she used to go to the bathroom everyday and the gigs of Shino's. Most of which she did not leave sober.

It's frustrating, watching her force herself to unravel piece by piece. There's nothing Shino and Kiba can do, or nothing they want to do that could help her without her possibly pushing them away.

Kiba and Shino had seen Hinata close to this twice before, when she was nine and her mother passed away. Like now, the younger Hinata had pushed the duo from her life, though they clung stubbornly to their friend. She had nearly succeeded in pushing them away though, when she was twelve and her, Neji and Kiba had a fight that nearly cost the trio everything they were.

When it came down to it, they had to cling to her. Because the truth of the matter is, Hinata hurt differently to Kiba, who snapped at others, furious at the world for hurting him, or Shino who let thoughts fester, feelings grow, watches the build up to disasters unable to move.

With Kiba and Shino there were signs, ways to pull them back before it got out of hand.

But, Hinata hurt quietly, showed no obvious signs except for maybe increased distance.

Swiftly yet effortlessly cutting people from her life was her key strategy, it hadn't worked the last few times. Before they were stubborn kids who hadn't known what the evils the world held, who believed a naive promise a life time ago, would never break. But now it's different, no longer children despite being under the legal age of majority.

Now she manages to find comfort in bottles twelve year old her would never have touched with a pole.

Now Hinata knows words that could hurt people, knows how to severe bonds and knows how to hate like it's second nature. Knows the tears of losing dear ones too intimately and fears that they'll fall again. And Shino drifts too far on the edge of uncaring, apathetic to most things no matter how hard he tries to care. Shino's still zero and one hundred and nowhere between. And Kiba can't quite stand tall when his own skin feels uncomfortable at times and they've all got problems they pretend aren't problems, because sometimes even best friends have secrets.

Or things they like to pretend are secrets.

* * *

 _Kiba jokes about it sometimes. He jokes about it a lot actually, like it's something funny they can bring up without the guilt that Shino and Hinata shroud the topic in. Hinata's pretended to be comfortable enough to joke about it as well, but her jokes are hollow even to his ears._

 _Shino likes to act uncaring, but his gut fills with a tight rage he barely suppressed when he thinks of it._

 _It was when they were fifteen and invincible, Shino had started frequenting less savory places because they were more likely to want to hire a kid at cheap rate to play and Shino felt like finally doing something uniquely him._

 _Entomology is an Aburame specialty. His sunglasses were from his Mother's family, they invested money in a sunglasses brand years ago and to this day the sunglasses had been a wild success._

 _Music was his._

 _No matter that his preschool teacher had taught him to play piano during playtime when he had no one to hang out with, Shino was the one who persisted. The one who asked his parents for lessons, the one who done school recitals even when he was so shy that he'd run off stage a minute in. Music was his, so he blamed himself._

 _Nothing happened in the end, probably why they can joke about it, without it being too weird._

 _They were in a shady bar called the Jounin Lounge at 1AM. It was hardly Shino's first gig, or the first one that Kiba and Hinata had lied to their parents about. It wasn't even the first time they had snuck out so late, Hinata loved midnight swimming and Kiba wasn't a cross-country sprinter just in the afternoons. Night adventures were hardly abnormal for them._

 _Maybe that's why it's so jarring when Kiba disappears. Nothing had gone wrong before, for something so routine to become terrifying was a reality check. Fifteen, but not invincible._

 _Luckily whoever drugged Kiba slipped him the wrong type of drugs and he ended up laughing, loud, attention grabbing. He'd nearly started a fight with some twins, but remarkably enough he was recognised. Kurenai-sensei finds him stumbling to a brawl outside. Furious, she drags him away, scolding both Hinata and Shino for leaving him unsupervised. Honest to a fault, she lectures them until the crippling guilt weighs on the two visibly. Retreating she instructs them to tell Kiba the same speech she'd given them and then accompanied them until they were at Shino's apartment. She had watched them walk in with barely hidden relief in her eyes._

 _In that respect, Kurenai-sensei was always the odd one. Most teachers never bothered with the trio of friends, Kiba too troublesome, Hinata already well on her own and Shino so quiet he could disappear._

 _Kurenai-sensei cared for them though, even years after the first time they met. Even years after they had last talked to her, she cared._

 _And they're fifteen the next day when Hinata pushes the events of the night before aside and Kiba comes back at twelve sweaty, red-faced with Akamaru in tow and Shino doesn't take another gig for a while. They're fifteen and the world is scary and in a few months they'll learn to hide their fear, but for now they cling harder to each other, presence constantly tied together._

* * *

Depression took many different forms and all three friends were well-acquainted to its different forms.

Kiba's took anger. It had taken years of gentle nudges from Hinata, of quiet reassurances from Shino for his faux confidence to become real. For his thoughts to become anything but poison in the heat of misunderstandings. Many raised voices and bruised knuckles until he'd calmed into the persona of class clown.

Shino took to depression like others drank alcohol. Slowly, so miniscule no one would recognise the subtle signs of his room becoming more cluttered. Sleeping a little later. Not showering because he's shaky. Mind spinning and working like microscopic bugs fluttered through it, through all hours of the night. A gradual process, until he begins skipping school because he can't physically force himself from his bed, too dizzy from lack of sleep, body shaking. Then he drowns in it. Barely moving and if he does it takes an extreme effort.

Kiba and Hinata had taken months to force him into a schedule, it's how their sleep overs became more. A steady bond that pushed them to share a bed when exhausted and mentally drained.

Hinata's depression was trickier than either of theirs, simply because when it hit her, it was hard, but subtle. Her cutting away her lifelines until she's alone, replacing people with achievements. Last time it had occurred, following a rather extreme fight with both Kiba and Neji, Hinata had swiftly ended all contact she had with anybody. Shino, Hanabi, her father and the aforementioned duo she had fought with. For the following month she had helped the track team with a few meets, taken her judo club to nationals, scored her highest biology mark ever. Then, when she was secure in her loneliness, sure that her achievements could make up for any misgivings she had committed, she calmly drove a knife through her stomach and nearly died.

If it happened again? That was a scary thought to say the least.

* * *

 _Shino hasn't left bed for more than going toilet in two-ish weeks, his guitar is probably going to gather dust soon but he can't move._

 _His parents weren't to be back home for another month and he flips, eye balling his alarm clock. 16:42. Deep down, Shino knew he should be hungry, but he'd been so thirsty he'd down a glass of warm water he had left on his desk and his stomach feels too full. But, his fingers are shaking, his stomach growling and he still can't move._

 _No one even cares, no one even notices and he can't be bothered trying anymore._

 _"Shino?" A gruff voice echoed through the door._

 _Kiba, he registered. Kiba and nope. None of him wanted to move, he closed his eyes, feeling heavy and tired. He can't remember when he last slept, but it must have been a while ago because even beneath his lids he can see spots of black and white. Can feel the coldness numbing his body into rest._

 _He wished he could care. But he feels so tired and he wishes he could just sleep but his brain is still moving and it's been sixty-ish hours since he last slept._

 _"C'mon Shino, Nata and I are worried about you," the words sound more like buzzes but he's smart, so he realises what Kiba means. He still can't answer though. That'd be too much, he's way too tired for that. Can't be bothered._

 _"Shino please, it's been nearly a month." Hinata's voice is gentler than Kiba's._

 _Huh? Weird._

 _What did she say?_

 _"Shino! Shino"_

 _His mind lulls him back into a dark, blank space. It takes more than a week for him to leave the space, though he thinks blurrily that he surely had showered and eaten, because when the haze goes away his hair is wet and he's sitting outside with Akamaru to his left and a cinnamon roll on his lap._

 _Frowning, Shino breaks the bun into small pieces, daintily grabbed one and chewed with bright eyes._

 _Behind him a clenched fist Kiba nearly cries with relief and a shaky Hinata barely keeps herself standing. Shino hadn't picked up his own food up in the three and a half weeks they'd watched over him, only chewing when it was forced to his lips by either best friend._

 _It had been officially a month and a week since Shino had entered into the half-awake state of his, any longer and they'd have been too worried to care about embarrassing Shino, the g.p's number already on speed dial. But, for once he's trying, trying without force._

 _Relief washes over them in waves, happiness slowly revealing itself._

 _And it's not the last time he falls into the despondent state, but it's the last time they let it get so bad._

* * *

Of course Kiba gets sick of being ignored.

And who knows what he wants from Naruto, an explanation, an excuse, a reason to fight. Naruto offered none, oddly stone-faced as Kiba gripped his school top, creasing the corners of the top.

Kiba begins shouting before he can realise why he's angry, the steady thrum of burnraisedestroy running rampant in his mind.

"Just fuckin' talk to me Uzumaki!"

Naruto says nothing, eyes averted to the ground. To Kiba, that's worse than answering him with a punch.

Shino can see them, down from him and across the hall, from their class building corridor. Things move slowly as he forces his way forward, dashing towards the gym to their aggressive figures.

Kiba says something as they come into his view, down two flights of stairs and across a long corridor.

Naruto growls out an answer to Kiba's retort loudly enough for Shino to hear, "Well at least I'm not fake!"

"What the hell's that mean?"

Red faced, Naruto pushes Kiba away from him, "It means I'm not fake like Hinata! So before you wanna come blame for shit I haven't even done, think about how I feel!"

Kiba's standing in seconds, "How you feel? How th' fuck am I supposed t' know anythin' 'bout you when you're not even answering my calls? So fuckin' what you and Hinata aren't dating, don't mean we have to stop being friends. Don't mean we deserve to be treated like trash!"

Naruto is silent, furious eyes looking up just as Shino is in reach of the two, his lips move slowly. "I treat 'em like I see 'em."

Shino moved quicker than Kiba, even as his fingers shook, itching to let go of him he held Kiba back. Most of him longed to let go, but Aburame cool kept his fingers steadily looped around Kiba's wrist, the other arm snaked down from his shoulder to his chest.

"Calm down Kiba," he whispered coolly, his voice holding ice.

Kiba's fury took a few moments to abate, but with bared teeth out he managed still to calm himself.

"Fuck you Uzumaki," he growled lowly.

Without another word he stormed away, eyes resolutely forward.

When Shino leaves it's with a final look at Naruto, voice monotone but somehow the low pitch makes it sound harsh, angry, "Congratulations Naruto, you've officially lost three friends who cared about you. I hope you're happy."

A large bang sounds as he paces forward, but Shino doesn't look back, even as he hears Naruto growl.

* * *

 _"Didja swear it? You'll always be m' friends?" Kiba asked, arms crossed over his chest and eyes hopeful yet suspicious._

 _Gulping, Hinata closes her eyes, voice soft as she answers,"F-f-forever…"_

 _Shino says nothing, adjusting his glasses. Done, he glances up and gives a decisive nod._

 _Wind swirls leaves from the ground and they dance in the air, mingling with the nine year olds. Friends forever they decide with gentle grins._

* * *

"Fuck this!" Kiba screams, throwing his bag to the floor.

Both Shino and Hinata flinch, watching him continually kick Shino's bed. They were supposed to be studying, but fear leaps in their throats and they both jump, holding Kiba before his anger began recoiling and hurting himself.

"Calm down Kiba," Shino murmurs lowly in his ear, hands gripping Kiba's chest from behind and keeping his shoulders from moving too much.

Hinata holds his wrist, eyes soft and searching,"Hey it's alright, just breathe, just breathe," she instructs all her strength focused in keeping his hands down.

It's a necessary precaution, neither of the two had forgotten how violent Kiba could be. How wide the splits in his knuckles were and bruised his palms would become, how even if his only enemy is himself and the wall; he could manage to beat his fist until they were mangled and unrecognisable. Akamaru circles their legs, whimpering and burying his head in the soft fabric of their school slacks.

"How th' fuck's it alright!?" He roars, fingers clenched tight.

Heart thumping in fear, it took Hinata a steadying second to begin rubbing soothing circles around his thumbs. Shino let his hands fall from shoulder to waist, fingers comforting in a tight embrace. Kiba calms down, looking at the floor where his blood had fallen from too tightly clenched fist.

"Hinata, how's any of this alright?" He starts quietly, voice almost a whimper, but not quite, ", Neji's dead, Naruto's an asshole, I nearly punched my ma yesterday and Shino's not sleeping again. Every time I'm like 'we might finally be getting over shit,' life jus' fucks us up more and I dunno know how or why we keep on jus' coping," Kiba sounds defeated and angry and sad.

Shino's hands fall to his sides, slack, but his eyes cover any surprise on his face, long used to covering his emotions. Hinata calmly leads Kiba to sit on Shino's bed before sitting on the ground before him. Taking his cue, Shino drags his chair over and completes their little circle.

"We're strong Kiba, through every single problem we've had, we've been strong. We cope because we can." Though her voice is fiercely protective, her eyes hold a glimmer and her pitch a tremor.

Kiba looks away from her glowing eyes, but when he turns back it's to cup her face between his hands. Shino's stomach turns when he watches this and his brain knows that they will never, ever do anything so cruel, will never hurt him so thoughtlessly, but his jealousy aches. Shino hates few things, but at the top of his list of hate, is his unabating jealousy, the way his arms want to curl around Kiba and mark him as his. Kiba loves Hinata in the same way Shino loves Hinata, but she is fair and kind and strong and female. It burns him, but he says nothing throat suspiciously tight.

It's silent for so long, before Kiba barks out an unattractive, bitter laugh.

"If we're so strong, then how come you're tryna be superwoman? How come I still want to burn the world to the ground? If we're so fuckin' strong, then why'd we always ignore our problems...Tch, we're not strong Nata, we're just cowards."

Hinata raises her hand slowly and Shino thinks this is it, the moment where he's inevitably forgotten and left behind, because through his anger Kiba remains beautiful. Eyes burning, jaw clenched tight, hot the more base– simplistic side of him says. Sexy in a way that's totally unfair. Then, the echoing snap of Hinata's hand against Kiba's cheek startles a laugh from him.

Both turn to look at him in confusion, he rarely ever laughed. But it doesn't stop at one.

The laughter echoes in the same, unpleasant and scary way it has all their lives and they join in.

"W–why are–– we laugh- kh, ing!" Hinata exclaims between pearls of laughter.

Kiba cries, unable to form words pointing between the two before an abrupt,"So damn awkward," muffled as it is, sounds in the room.

Shino's stomach hurts, but in a good way and all he manages is a gesture of a slap before he falls from his chair, legs bent and face muffled in his beige bedding.

Hours pass before the three have managed to stop laughing, somehow they had fit an abrupt tickle fight and by the time all snorts have been subsided, they're splayed out on his bed. Kiba fills the silence like he always does, voice serious but no longer bitter or angry. Him and Shino hold hands, Shino coerced to the middle during their tossing and wrestling of each other, Hinata with her head on his chest playing with Akamaru's fur. Akamaru had decided to jump along the trio, covering their chest with his height, but not suffocatingly heavy in weight.

Kiba's voice turn over topics that they hmm and hum to, occasional two, three word answers. It takes a while for the previous air of solemnity to take over again.

"I– About before, I'm seriously worried about us… I hate seeing you carry the world on your shoulders Hinata and I hate seeing you not sleep Shino...It makes me feel weak, like I can't even get my best friends to talk about what's happening in their lives."

Hinata answers first, because she knows Shino needs more time to carefully formulate his answer.

"I feel like I failed him," is her quiet admission, ", he was my big brother and dammit, I'm one of the best Gentle Fist fighters in our generation, I'm a National Judo comp runner up. He didn't– If I just had been faster–" Her breaths become faster, before long she is crying, muttering about could have's and if only's.

Kiba stretches to entwine their fingers, while Shino strokes her hair.

"The attack was not your fault, he died Hinata, but you were not the cause," Shino utters carefully.

"But it's always me Shino, I was held hostage and my dad... A-a-and my-my Uncle di-d-died, Neji died! I'm always the reason Shino! Bad stuff always happen to m-m-me and-and-and-and I try so hard to not let it affect me, but I keep remembering and I can't– I don't want that!" She cries out incoherently, because she's seventeen and she's already responsible for so much.

And fuck it all if this doesn't help them. Shino realises he's crying too, because, though he doesn't like emotion having carefully concealed most of his feelings that doesn't mean he can't feel it; and Kiba, overwhelmed with emotion turns fully to his side and jumps until his arms are wound tightly around the two.

They lay cuddled up, hiccups, giggles and soft sobs in the air. Since when were they so sappy?

"I'm sorry," Shino whispers and with it he says, "I love you," until I love you's sound stale and unreal.

The three continue to lay there, lucky in life even if unhappy at times. For now, this is enough. For now, this could work. Three best friends, their partner Akamaru and a bed they can all squeeze on. Three different people, who loved each other in different ways and a companion who loves them all the same.

Naruto, Neji, Hana's worthless series of boyfriends and Shino's caring if wayward parent's don't matter in this moment. They're still undeniably sad, with a few secrets they still can't share, but they're together through it all, even if they've lost their way at times.

Hinata, Shino, Kiba.

Best friends forever.

* * *

 **This chapter is done.**

 **I've re-written it like three times, this is the end result. I wasn't supposed to make Neji die but then I did? I think I was making up for Naruto having a shitty life by giving everyone a shitty life. Granted I went the mostly canon way, Naruto orphan, Hinata dead cousin and uncle, everything of Shino and Kiba are mostly true as well. Nods to canon with the unnamed feature of Sakon and Ukon, Shino hating being ignored or forgotten. Nods to me being an angsty kient. Ect, ect.**

 **Coming up (Though not particularly soon): Hanabi Hyuuga to tell Naruto to get rekt, Sakura and Sasuke to teasingly tell Naruto to get rekt, Angsty!Naruto confused on what he's apparently done to be rekt'd twice and we near the conclusion of our story.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata's hair is knotted, Hanabi notes faintly. Dark locks tangled across her pale arms, covering her face in their chaos. Light streams in from Hinata's window, curtains wide open, carefully dancing across the dark planes of her hair. She thinks wryly, that her sister rarely remembers to close the curtains before sleeping and the sun surely bothers her in her sleep.

Quietly, she tip-toes her way across the floor, pausing at a lone hook to hang her jacket up.

With quick, sudden motions she closes the large curtains and turns to her sister. Not even a moment later, she's at the foot of the bed.

Something deep and warm expands in her chest as she looks at her older sister, torn between waking her up abruptly for kicks and sliding in next to her. It's an old feeling, worn from years of use.

Hanabi is the younger sister, but sometimes she feels like she's the older one. When Hinata takes the world on, Hanabi feels like the only person who can slow her down, the one to ground her when Hinata tries to soar higher. Kiba and Shino wanted Hinata to fly and Neji, for all he loved Hinata and her him, could never hope to ground her. Was too lenient with her. Hanabi didn't like being alone and sometimes letting Hinata fly left her alone, so selfish as it was she liked to keep Hinata near when she could.

She loves her sister, but Hanabi is her father's daughter. Hinata yearns for the sky and Hanabi appreciates the earth, appreciates the now where Hinata usually only looks for the later. Hanabi's later was usually shrouded in her father's desires, so she treasured the now and treasured it more when people were with her to treasure it. Hanabi's a social person, for all that she is usually alone. Unlike Hinata however she could never be a social person, Hanabi's brilliant eyes and quick brain computed numbers faster than most. Her brains and eyes left her alone, with only her father's expectation.

Fourteen years old now she'd lost the mirth she'd held that encouraged Hinata to soar. Even when they traded barbs like people did greetings, Hanabi was always cautious. People could forget it though, when looking at how they interacted, with love and mischief aplenty, that Hanabi was a certified genius. That she saw things more clearly, more in-depth than most.

She takes in Hinata's appearance slowly.

Pale, swallow skin. Hinata hadn't been messaging her back as often as usual, despite summer break nearing. Which meant she'd made no plans for their last summer together before Hinata starts at university, ergo she was distancing herself. She'd won a her division for judo a while ago, despite being second in her division for nearly four consecutive years. Hinata then, was sad. Presumably, it involved Naruto, who had not been mentioned in months, after several months of nothing but stories about him. After years of tangible if reserved admiration for him. Definitely, it had to do with Neji. Because even Hanabi for as closed off as she was becoming, had felt the ache of his loss heavily.

Hanabi's heart aches fiercely, she is fourteen and likes to think herself better than other teenagers. Still, she is fourteen and even if she knows Hinata is sad, she doesn't know what to do about it. What can the younger sister say to the older sister? Hinata is strong and Hanabi doesn't know how to see her as anything but strong, doesn't know how to deal with anything but a strong older sister. It seemed too long ago since Hinata was shy and weak at a first glance.

Sighing, tired from hours of travel, she crawls next to Hinata. It has been years since they've slept together, but she hopes, knows, her sister won't mind. Hanabi rests, space between the two, mind steadily going black.

* * *

" _You're upset," Hinata says._

 _Hanabi huffs into her knees, saying nothing._

 _Bending, Hinata runs her fingers through her ten year old sister's hair. Hanabi looks up with a small pout as she gazes intently at her sister._

" _What happened?"_

 _Hanabi looks away, nose scrunched up, annoyed. It takes a lot for Hinata not to laugh, the sight cute._

" _Nothing important," she refutes looking to the ground, even as her body was wound tightly together._

 _It had been a short while since Hanabi had been so twitchy, eyes roving everywhere. Not believing her sister, for good reason, Hinata just scoots closer, tapping Hanabi's cheek teasingly._

" _Tell me, c'mon, Nee-chan's prepared to help her cute little sister."_

 _The pout deepens into a frown, Hanabi glaring back._

 _Hinata's chest pounds rapidly, enamored. No one could dare be cuter than Hanabi, of that she was one hundred percent sure._

" _I'm fine, boys are just stupid," she mutters waving her hand around to cease Hinata's hold on her._

 _Preening, Hinata moves forward until little space separated the two, "Na, tell me why that is Hanabi-chan? Is there a reason boys are stupid?"_

 _Her mind whirled, part of her arguing that Hanabi was too young to like anyone and boys were stupid, best to be avoided so they never corrupted her. Most of her was worried for the boys, Hanabi had training in martial arts and a fiery temper. It took a while to fire her up, but when annoyed very little could stop the younger Hyuuga._

 _Arms flinging around animatedly, Hanabi points at the direction of the bedroom door in frustration, "Because they're stupid! And dumb! And who even likes Udon anyway, he's always gross and girls are stupid too because they're all sigh look at him, but he's gross and his nose used to be snotty but none of them care," she rants._

 _Giggling, Hinata ruffles her sister's hair very slightly. Disgruntled, Hanabi looks away, face going pink._

" _They're not stupid for having crushes Hanabi, they're just, flus–"_

" _Like you can talk, Nee-chan gets all stupid when Naruto is mentioned," she snarks._

 _A vibrant blush covered her face, "D-don't interrupt others, it's rude," she replies, not denying it because on principle she doesn't lie to her sister._

 _Hanabi sighed exaggeratedly, pointing a finger her way, "See you're getting all stupid and sigh thinking about him now!"_

 _In reply Hinata blushed redder, pinching Hanabi's cheeks in passive aggression, Hanabi yelped slightly at the feel, not hard enough to hurt but not soft either._

" _Some people get stupid when they like people, others don't. Just like some people like bananas and others like mitsuba."_

 _Hanabi scrunched her nose up once more, but said nothing, opting to swat her sister's hands away from her being and lie down. It seemed like a logical, if not unreasonable explanation._

 _People definitely could be weird._

* * *

Hinata wakes with a soft squeal. Then she quietly wraps her arms around her younger sister.

"Maa, Nee-chan," Hanabi grumbles moving away from her.

Hanabi doesn't like to be coddled, or rather she feels the need to not be coddled despite liking it. Her voice swims equal parts annoyed and satisfied.

"You're back early," Hinata declares.

Hanabi stifles a yawn as she cuddles back into the blanket, Hinata was an early riser. Hanabi was a night person, preferring to stay up to the hours of the morning over waking at morning. Unperturbed Hinata stretched and felt happy. In the distant sort of way, like happiness was more thought than feeling. But it lingered there, simmering in the air. Hanabi hadn't been back since the year started, had spent the winter break with her studies and youth business courses and couldn't afford to come back on weekends.

Hinata and Hanabi had chosen different routes to dedicate themselves to their family and friends. Hanabi's required more work, Hinata's required more patience.

"Na Nee-chan," Hanabi grunted unable to fall back to sleep. She adjusts herself until she faces Hinata's side.

Hinata flips to face her grown little sister, feeling sad and satisfied in one breath. She hopes it doesn't show on her face.

"Hmm?" Hinata sounds out, curious.

"Do you…" The words get stuck in her throat, she wants to say 'Do you think you'll be alright? Do you need anything?' What comes out is: "Do you want to go out shopping today? I need to buy some new clothes, I wanted to get a cuter style."

Hinata frowns at that, eyes squinting in suspicion.

"Cuter...Style?" She mumbled out, before pouncing. In seconds she is straddling her little sister with a frown.

"Ha-na-bi-chan~" She sing-songs, protective sister mode activated, "Why do you need a cuter style? You're plenty cute already, was there something you wanted to tell me."

Hanabi flipped Hinata off of her after thirty seconds of struggle, Hinata uttering a low ouch. Panting she bites out red-faced, "I just want a new style! What's wrong with wanting to be cute!? Who says I need to be cute for anyone!? I like being cute for myself!"

Not even conscious of her actions, Hinata looks down at Hanabi's loose, ill-fitting jeans and her bright yellow, stretched out tank top. Her eyes widen and lips pucker into a disbelieving smile.

Defeated, Hanabi looks away, mumbling out, "Th-there might, be...someone."

A well of emotions flood Hinata ranging from elation, to disbelief and protective-indignation. She stuffs it down to ruffle the disgruntled Hanabi's already messy hair.

* * *

" _Otou-san is sending me away to a private school out in the countryside...Their sporting facilities aren't the best, but he says it's the best academic school in Konoha, rivalling Oto and Kumo middle-schools on the national level."_

 _Hinata raises a brow, curious as to why Hanabi was telling her and why neither her or Neji had been sent to the school themselves._

" _It's a great school otou-san says, it was made only two years ago but the academic rating is ridiculously high. He says I'll do really well there and it sounds cool but…" Eleven year old Hanabi bites her lips as her eyes tear up suddenly._

 _Giving her sister a reassuring smile, Hinata bends and wipes her little sister's cheeks of tears she hadn't yet shed._

" _But you don't want to go there?" She finishes where her sister had trailed off._

 _Hanabi lip trembles and she wails out without tears, "I don't wanna leave Moegi-chan! We just became friends and her and Udon are so sad that Konohamaru's moved schools and I promised we'd go to the same schools until high-school! I don't want to make them sad."_

 _Her rant continues partly angry, mostly sad._

 _Hinata shuts Hanabi up with a yelp as she throws her sister on her bed. Grinning down at her sister, Hinata sits on the bed with a happy smile._

" _I think we should sleep on this decision my cute little sister, and we can talk more tomorrow when you're less angry, okay?"_

 _Hanabi throws a pillow at her sister in reply, but feels much calmer than before. Hinata always knew the best ways to calm her down, her sister could be so cool sometimes!_

* * *

Hanabi listens to people. She doesn't always agree with them or respect them, but she listens to them. She's silent so it unnerves some people, but beneath her quiet was an ever-moving mind that knew and felt and tried to understand people when they were being so very weird. So when faced with a problem and two variables that correlate to the problem, added with only one of the variables being accessible, Hanabi does what she thinks her sister and father will do, interrogates the hell out of it.

Ichiraku is a small bit away from the central malls, but Hanabi drags Hinata off towards the more eccentric stores, until they reach a store with odd tie-dye patterns close enough to Ichiraku that Hinata doesn't become suspicious. Had Hanabi carefully thought this out, she'd have left Hinata totally at home, but she wants to be with her sister and she wants to solve her sister's problems and after so long in the countryside, being alone in the city felt weird and uncomfortable. Hanabi sneaks away without a fuss.

Naruto, she thinks observing the way he smiles and laughs and flirts, possibly without realising it, is an idiot. An idiot because she'd seen him smile brighter through the blurry screen of her video chats with her sister. Because she'd seen him beam brightly without the tense shoulders or closed-mouth grins.

A fury seeps into her bones and she wonders so much. How did strong Hinata who refused to ever go down, who defended Hanabi and tended to her in the same breath; the Hinata who defied their father just so Hanabi could be happy with her friends and then forgave Hanabi when she selfishly chose to move schools anyway, how did she bend to this? A guy with scraggy blonde locks and an idiotic grin

Naruto doesn't look like anything spectacular, he's tall but not sexy. Lacks muscle definition that her sister deserved, because Hinata deserved Adonis. A man carved by the gods just for her, in comparison Naruto was just Naruto. Cute, but in the way so many guys were cute. Nothing remarkable about him.

Briefly she flashbacked to an old conversation with her aforementioned sister and couldn't help but think once more, that people could be so weird. A cheerful voice interrupted her internal musing and she looked up.

"Hey there, welcome to Ichiraku how may I help you?" His voice sounded like he chewed rocks for a living.

Hanabi hated him. First he took all of Hinata's time, then he went and threw her away like she was trash. Uzumaki Naruto was clearly an idiot and Hanabi's stare bore into him, marking him as idiotic.

"Can you tell me why my sister is currently walking around like a ghost? If I thought she'd give an honest answer I'd ask her, but evidently no one's keeping me in the loop." Her voice is cool, self-assured.

Looking up from his clipboard, Naruto's stare turned hard as he peered at her for the first time. Recognition shines in his blue orbs.

"Sorry, we don't offer life stories here."

There's something angry in how he moves, how he holds himself. As if Hinata did something to him, which is impossible because Hinata wouldn't, would she? Trepidation laid heavily in her stomach. Kiba and Shino hadn't informed her why Hinata was distancing herself or how bad she'd gotten to have lost such a visible amount of weight. Hinata was never so open about these things with Hanabi, so if Hinata had done something, would they tell her? She didn't know.

Despite this conflicting mix of emotion, Hanabi defended her sister like a dutiful Hyuuga, "Good thing I didn't ask about _your_ life story, I wanted to know what exactly you did to Hinata," she sneers down her nose at him, like she believed in her own words.

To herself she admitted to the slightest amount of doubt, Hinata did this thing sometimes where she made huge mistakes when misguidedly trying to make things better.

Visibly, Naruto tensed. She had very little interaction with him, limited to a few minutes of him in the background of her conversations with Hinata, but even she knew the look of fury on his face was a first. So raw and anguished, as if Hinata had walked all over him for fun and then laughed as she walked away.

What the hell was happening? This was waaay too confusing for her to follow.

"What I did to Hinata? As if, Hinata's the one who– I thought we actually– You know what, it doesn't matter. What your stupid sister– Ugh, just leave Hanabi." His murmur is low, so not to grab attention.

Though his voice left no space for arguing, Hanabi wanted to argue. Argue for her sister who hurt so quietly, who never told Hanabi anything important. Who always tried to protect her from everything. And he, he didn't make any sense! She'd been trying to be civilized, tried to listen but he wasn't saying anything either, just like her stupid Nee-chan and true to her name, she exploded.

"My sister is awesome! She's beautiful and kind and sexy! You hear me, she's sexy! She deserves more than some heartless dude like you! Hinata's the best sister anyone could ever want and she's the nicest person ever and I'm the only one allowed to hurt her!"

A few people glanced their way, but even shouting she held her composure, though barely.

Naruto gave her a flat look, "Kid, if you're not ordering anything then leave, we have too many customers to cater to the whims of a self-absorbed kid with a sister complex."

The words ring cruelly in Hanabi's ears and her face shades the darkest red, childish indignation rearing its ugly head.

"Idiot! Bastard! Good for nothing blond! I don't know why Hinata liked your stupid self for eleven years, but do my sister a favour a stay out of her life!"

Hanabi was a step away from disappearing for good, when Naruto grabbed her arm.

Hoarsely, his voice croaked out, "What do you mean liked me for eleven years?"

Not sparing him another glare, Hanabi shook his grip off, "Piece it together yourself you idiot!"

* * *

 _Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura don't start through a genuine, heartfelt meeting. Their lives aren't dictated through promises or the sort. It starts simply._

 _Ino isn't at school one day, sick with the flu. Sasuke refuses to partner with any one girl in class because they're all bat-shit crazy and none of the boys like to partner up with him. Naruto's never anyone's first pick. Kakashi-sensei, substituting for a friend at the time, throws them together because no one else wants to team with the trio._

 _Sakura was too know-it-all for them, Sasuke so very intimidating and Naruto plain annoying. Surprisingly, this trend stays. After a year of being forced into the same groups in every class, the three begin to melt around each other._

 _It's not like at first sight. It's not a deep, passionate thing that appears suddenly. Even with Sakura's crush on Sasuke and Naruto's crush on Sakura, it's hard for them to become friends. They bring the worst and best bits out of each other and in the end, it's just three misfit kids with nowhere else to go, suddenly falling into place with each other. Occupying each other's time so often that friendship grows slowly, but assuredly._

 _Like a natural extension of who they are, they become one messy, rowdy group and for a while, that is enough._

 _But things change. They grow and it becomes a little more strained._

 _((Sasuke gets colder as he grows older and as much as he appreciates his friendships, the burden of not being Itachi weighs heavy on his shoulders and Orochimaru is accepting and almost familiar. Has an allure about him that makes Sasuke want to be near him, manages to word things so convincingly. Leaving Konoha makes sense, being independent is all he's wanted. And if his parents try and look for him, maybe then he'll know they care._

 _Sakura can't cope with Sasuke's absence, not just because of her crush but because of how lonely it is. Being around Naruto just reminds her that there's a gap in their dynamics that Sasuke filled and it makes her depressed. She loves Naruto like a brother, but he's as shaken as her so, Sakura gets busy. Volunteers at the clinics and around the community, starts going to the gym. Just, tries not to spare a second too long on thinking about Sasuke and how much he took with him._

 _Naruto is a social being. He doesn't cope well alone and the scars they leave on his heart are his own, private reminders on the consequence of letting his friends too close.))_

 _And they grow, become teenagers who fit together like disjointed puzzle pieces. The shapes and corners connecting correctly, but the picture warped. They learn to be fine with these changes and to see something in the warped mesh of colours._

* * *

The knock on his door interrupts the torrent of his thoughts as Naruto sat, nursing a glass of water.

He glanced at the door, then at his feet and sighed annoyed. Iruka wasn't due back for another hour, at least. Putting a polite smile on, he opened the door slowly, to come face to face with his two best friends. Sasuke stands to Sakura's right, three bags of Ichiraku takeaways in his hands. His pale face scowls with a hint of a warning, while Sakura has her arms looped behind her with this look on her face.

It should be normal, it really, truly should. But he feels the wrongness linger in the air and his first reaction is to slam the door shut, Sakura stops it with her foot and an annoyed glare.

"Nah, we come here being nice with dinner and everything and you wanna slam the door in our faces!?" Sakura shouts menacingly, her fist poised for a punch she wasn't going to execute. Not bothering to ask permission, they make their way in with familiarity, kicking their shoes off at the door.

Stomping in after them, Naruto has the time to roll his eyes before making his way to the floor. They sit around on tatami mats as Sasuke pulls the food from the bag and Sakura continues to smile too widely.

Snorting, Naruto attempts to take a bowl from Sasuke, claiming it as his, but Sasuke stops him with a hard thwack of skin and a heated glare. Pouting now, Naruto looks at them with a raised brow before relaxing slightly.

"C'mon, spit it out. There's a reason you guys are being weird, just tell me," he states bluntly, leaning back.

Sasuke continues to say nothing as he sets their dinner up, arranging it so the side dishes spread around the small table in the weird order he prefers and pulls out some canned drinks. Sakura throws a can at him and pops hers open. He waits a few seconds and follows suit. After taking a sip, Sakura sighs and looks up.

"Let's eat first, we can talk after dinner, ne?" She offers with a gentle smile, her head tilted slightly.

Shrugging, Naruto stands to bring some chopsticks and a few spoons to the table, noting the lack of Ichiraku eating utensils. After hesitating, he takes a breath and walks back to the table. These were his friends and even if it had been a while, he could feel himself untense in their presences.

* * *

 _When Sasuke comes back to Konoha, after three years of being on the run and avoiding the Uchiha police corps, his brothers private investigation company and his nosy best friends, he's not sure what to expect._

 _Three years was a long time and in that time he had faced his rage square on and beaten it thoroughly. Made friends and enemies in quick succession of each other. For a while too, he had enjoyed it._

 _Being wholly Sasuke, no Uchiha reputation or older brother's shadow or too nosy best friends to bother him. He learned different martial arts under Orochimaru's tutelage, got involved with Heavy Shit, before he even let himself think about leaving._

 _Orochimaru was as underground a presences as there ever was, he dealt drugs and information, was a source of much of the Fire Country's corruption. Even though Sasuke respected him, he grew uninterested in the life of survive and kill and had, as he'd done once before, ran away. A year into his work with Orochimaru, he'd learnt how much he enjoyed travelling and for a short while, he lived life from street to street, seeing things in a way he'd never seen them before. With his travels, he'd met new friends, a singer from the Mist, an information broker from the Grass. Short-lived as their friendships had been, it had reminded him of a home he'd left once before and frankly he was curious, so Sasuke trekked back to Konoha and found things so different, even if they were the same._

 _Sakura was still abnormally smart, but upon arrival he'd, albeit accidentally, seen her throw a fully grown man from her path without breaking a sweat. She was stronger, smarter, more cautious in how and who she smiled at, even if she still had the same quiet confidence and airy charisma about her being._

 _Naruto too was different, even if he still vaguely held his past personality. He was loud yes, still moved faster than Sasuke could track, mind still a thousand steps ahead or behind where they wanted it to be. Maybe he was taller, leaner as opposed to more muscular, a little more responsible._

 _Sasuke, like the duo, was also different. His temper had smoothed out, raging embers smothered under a new layer of indifference. Even if he'd rationalised and tried to become more vulnerable, his walls had only gotten higher as he'd gotten older. Sasuke tried, but his indifferent persona and almost too cold nature was just, too much for his once best friends._

 _They are different people he thinks, and he's not quite sure if coming back was the best option under his mother's suffocating nature and father's careful watch. Things had changed and yet, they hadn't. Like a repeat of the past, school once again ties them together._

 _They do not just fall together. A series of coincidental meetings, a few hard conversations matched with more awkward silences, heated glares and random outbursts of anger. Always though, they managed to slot into place, lives tied together. Their history teacher managing to once again push them into cohabitation, that too turns to friendship. Be it by accident or coincidence or fate, the three become friends once more and this again, is all they really need._

* * *

Dinner is quiet, Sakura offering polite conversation and glaring whenever Naruto and Sasuke obviously zoned out. They talk in passing, Sasuke mentions for the sake of conversation that he had a few offers from Kumo about sport scholarships, Sakura cheered at that and Naruto felt his stomach tighten.

Next, Sakura mentions getting into Konoha-U for med and again, his stomach clenches. He had no news to offer, having not heard back about his military application and his police interview was coming up in a week's time, which made him particularly nervous. He'd passed both physical tests remarkably well, but it didn't escape his notice that at both places he was the youngest applicant by a few years. It was too easy for them to claim lack of life experience like Iruka had reminded him constantly.

If neither application worked out, he was stuck at Ichiraku's for another year while his best friends went on to be Big Deals. The thought made him uncomfortable and quiet. After their dinner is done, five bowls for Sasuke, four for Naruto and one for Sakura plus an array of familiar side dishes, Sakura clears the bowls and places them on a bench.

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke move to help her or otherwise, comfortably seated as she shoves the bowls of uneaten sides into the fridge and places the takeaway bowls in a bag to be thrown away later. Things relatively cleaned, Sakura sits on the floor again with a slight twitch.

"Na, where's Iruka-sensei, Naruto?" She says to fill in the silence.

He frowns, contemplates telling them that he was in hospital, but the words freeze in his throat and he looks down.

"He's got a meeting," with Shizune his doctor, Naruto does not mention.

Sakura nods, looking at her thighs before sharing a glance with Sasuke. Sasuke's bored expression shows a look of faint annoyance, Naruto reads, while Sakura's annoyance is easily read but matched with a healthy amount of exasperation. Quietly, Naruto wonders if they realise that unlike most of the population he too could read their expressions, when he payed attention of course.

Opening her mouth, Sakura goes to say something, before she pauses with a look of deliberation. Again, Sakura's mouth opens, but nothing comes out. After a third time, Sasuke's cold voice breaks through the air.

"You fought with Hyuuga. You haven't fought seriously with anyone since we were 15, but now you're avoiding her and us. What happened?"

Blue eyes wondered over to the hunched forward figure in light confusion. That was a long sentence for Sasuke.

Slowly, Naruto contemplates an answer but can't find anything to say. Sakura saves him the trouble, with a sad look at Naruto she lays a hand on his knee, "Naruto, is the rumour true? Did you reject Hinata-chan?"

The question chips at the last of his walls and his fist tremble, white knuckled. It had been such a long day, a long week really.

"I told her I wouldn't date her yes, but–" The reason sounds dumb now that he tries to word it, but in his chest it feels right. Feels true. 'I rejected her because she didn't actually like me,' like he could say that.

Sakura squeezes Naruto's knee tightly to his confusion and throws a pointed glance at the internally struggling Uchiha.

"Naruto, you are an idiot," Sasuke says bluntly, "Hyuuga made you happy didn't she? Happier than I've ever seen you and I thought that was impossible, so why'd you reject her?" His gaze is deep and boring, black eyes glinting.

Frustrated tears fill his vision slowly as he takes deep, calming breaths and looks at his trembling hands.

He can play fine while Iruka's in hospital, potentially with a relapse, but Hinata is what makes him near tears? The logic makes no sense to him and he's so, so angry at himself for feeling the wrong things at the wrong times.

"Guys I'm sick of being used, I want to be love, I wanna love someone, I wanna know what that feels like. Why do people always play me? Hinata was– She was supposed to be different!" His voice cracked as he banged the table with his fist, head ducked down.

Sakura looks over to an equally lost Sasuke and pats Naruto's thigh in a soft, reassuring motion.

"Why did you reject the Hyuuga? What did she do?" Sasuke presses darkly, he didn't know Hyuuga well, but to hurt Naruto so badly he could only assume the worst of her.

"Because it wouldn't have been real Sasuke, don't you get it," Naruto catches on to the first question only, " No one likes me, not really. But Hinata... I liked her so much it physically hurts me to be so distant, to know that she was using me like others were-"

"How would using you benefit Hinata-chan?" Sakura cuts in confused, because she was friendly with the Hyuga and anything Naruto had, she probably had a better version of, exceptions with friends of course.

"I don't know! All I know is people don't love me and I don't blame them."

The resignation in his voice infuriate the two because, Naruto as much as they sometimes forgot about his presences, was still their best friend. Sometimes school and sports got in the way of that, but still Naruto was a staple in their lives and to hear him so self-deprecating angered the two in different ways.

"You are a moron Naruto!" Sakura interrupts fury in her voice, "Hinata-chan. Liked. You." The words were emphasised as she continued.

"Who the hell knows why, because she knew how much of a moron you are but she liked you. She wouldn't use you, not the Hinata-chan I know. How could you ever think that? How could you believe no one loves you when Sasuke and I are right here!? When we're–"

Her voice cracks her as she stares at Naruto, her best friend and brother, tears in her emerald eyes.

"Because not even my own parents loved me enough to keep me Sakura!"

Two breaths are audibly sucked in through clenched teeth at the remark, but Naruto doesn't slow his angry confessions.

"People who were supposed to love me abandoned me Sakura, and not just them. I'm never enough for people to stay, even you two left at one stage. Iruka, Shion, Gaara, Shikamaru– They've all left me before, no one has ever just stayed for me...So why would beautiful, wonderful, kind Hinata ever truly love a screw up like me! She's just like everyone else...I'm fine for a little while, but I'm not the one people stay for, I'm nobody. So there's no way she truly love me, I mean, why would she?"

Even with things so serious, Sasuke and Sakura manage to force a light-hearted environment, shrugging, faces screwed up in confusion. If they addressed any of the deeper confessions, it would turn too messy and the trio, for all their brilliance are terrible at dealing with situations that were so deeply enraptured in hurt, too accustomed to letting their anger control their emotions. Anger and hurt, Sakura and Sasuke both knew, were not a good combination, so they let their childish sides shine through.

"I dunno what she sees, you're pretty stupid," Sasuke starts.

"And lazy,"

"Untidy," Sakura's nose scrunches up here in agreement.

"Annoyingly stubborn,"

"And extremely unobservant, but..."

"I guess you're pretty cool sometimes," the duo finish off with a surprised glance at each other before bumping Naruto's shoulders, playfully on Sakura's side and merely following her lead on Sasuke's.

A warm smile plays on Naruto's lips as he shakes his head incredulously.

"You guys are serious assholes. And are horrible at comforting someone," he says hoarsely.

"We know," they answer with tilted lips, unexpectedly in unison again.

The look of surprise is stark on their faces as Sakura's smile widens to glee mixed mischief and Sasuke's nose turns upwards. A soft hiccup of laughter sounds between the duo. They share a long look, but before long all three are laughing. Naruto loud and unrestrained, Sakura loud but with restraint, hand over her lips and Sasuke chuckling softly as they fell to the ground, feet curled in ways to make them comfortable. The minutes fade and Sakura and Sasuke both turn to look at Naruto, who laid between them.

"Naruto, go to Hinata-chan, explain to her everything that's happened, how you feel and if you guys won't date, then at least be friends again," Sakura presents the idea with a soft smile.

A pause.

"Do you think she actually wants to date me? Because– I think I really, really like her."

Sakura smiles and threads her fingers through Naruto's spiky hair.

"I don't really know how she feels right now, but Hinata-chan's liked you for a long time and, I can't imagine her giving up on you easily."

"How long has she liked me for? You're the second person to mention that and I'm," curious his mind supplies, but does not say.

Sasuke is the one who answers, "I think she had a crush on you before I left, she used to watch you during class a lot. It was a little weird since you were at back and she was in front."

Eleven years rings through his mind and he looks intently at the ceiling, a new wave of guilt hitting him.

"Will she forgive me? I've been a bit of an ass lately," he laments dryly.

"If she doesn't it, then it's her mistake Naruto, because you are honestly spectacular Naruto, even if you can be a handful," Sakura answers while Sasuke huffs out a neutral sound.

Naruto smiles and sits up, looking over at his two closest friends and thinks yeah, for now, this is enough.

* * *

 **Halfway through this I wondered why tf it was so long and realised that I had accidentally written the chapter as Naruto & Hanabi/Sakura/Sasuke when it was supposed to be (in my planning) just Naruto & Hanabi. But oh well, it was a beast to write so sorry for that, the next chapter will be a lot less lengthy and hopefully not take me two+ months to update. (I make no promises.) If it's poorly displayed, I tried to portray Naruto as stressed out but like, everything's been building stressed? And he's so emotional bc he's been like, bottling things in and it's not really his day is all.**

 **Welp. Tune in next time to follow the children of Konoha as they finally unravel the truth about Konoha's curfew law and why every house has a 'lucky charm' on its door; alternatively Hinata and Naruto finally talk after Hinata's failed confession, but will it actually be enough to salvage their relationship?**

 **Until next time, thanks for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata doesn't like free time.

Free time means time to think, time to mourn. And father had taught her that mourning was never an option when there was stuff to be done.

Currently however, there was little to do.

Graduation had passed blandly and with it, Kiba's work hours had increased. Shino's internship was due to start in a few days. Even Hanabi had been busy today, having to participate in a training camp with one of her school clubs, which one Hinata was unsure. Presumably her Volleyball club, if not that then definitely an academic club.

Sighing, Hinata turned to the door and felt bored for the first time in months.

She didn't really want to move, the boredom settling into a confusing meld of detachment and tiredness. Like any free time she has, Hinata's thoughts inevitably travel to the worst possible thoughts.

Neji.

Seeing the way his blood bloomed against a business official suit he was wearing, how the red was oddly contained in a neat circle around his stomach. A course of grief struck Hinata as she laid down blankly staring at the ceiling.

If she hadn't wanted to train overtime, had finished up faster...What could have.

It was unusual for her to dwell, but dwell she did. So many what ifs. What if they had called a cab like Neji wanted? What if she'd just walked home before he'd finished work? Would that have changed everything?

If they weren't born into a life of luxury, had more common features? Would being anyone less than Hyuga had saved her cousin from his awful demise? Her stomach flips, growling for sustenance or release of the heavy knot she feels there, she's unsure.

Flipping, Hinata traces the callouses on her knuckles. She wished she was faster, stronger. But none of those wishes could change the past, so most of all she wished she could just be happy. This time round, no tears fall and for a second, she is grateful.

* * *

 _Naruto heard his phone vibrate loudly a few minutes ago, but Ayame had been near so he hadn't dared open it. Absently, Naruto wondered if Hinata had messaged, his stomach churned with anticipation as he finally opened it up._

 _Disappointment floods through him as he sees the sender, Bushy-Brows. Clicking his tongue, Naruto glanced up to make sure Teuchi wasn't around before flicking the message open._

 _From Bushy Brows_

 _Call me as soon as you can, it's important._

 _Frowning, Naruto mentally reminds himself to call later and slides his phone back into his pocket. Another buzz interrupts him and he looks down again, to find another message._

 _From Sakura-chan_

 _Sasuke and I will be by after your shift._

 _Again a buzz courses through his phone and seeing the sender is Kiba, Naruto flicks his phone off with a violent click. He could deal with this later. He still had a half-hour after all._

* * *

Naruto paused at the door of the Hyuuga Manor. It was large and intimidating in a way it hadn't been for months. Though they rarely spent more than scant minutes here, it had felt tolerable. Not comfortable, but not this oppressive display dripping with disdain.

Swallowing, Naruto took a breath, raised his fist and knocked.

"Hi," he greeted one of Hinata's many relatives.

They raised a brow, looking distinctly like they wished to send him off.

"Is Hinata-sama expecting you?" The voice is soft yet crisp and lacking any sort of pitch.

"Um. No, but is she busy?"

A slight narrowing of brows, so minute it would be invisible to most, answered him. It became rather evident that he was very much person-non grata. But, dutiful people, the Hyuuga gestures to the living room with a quiet hum of 'I shall go see her.'

In the absence of people, stuck in the too large, too sophisticated house just felt wrong. Like it didn't really exist if no one who lived there was around.

Hinata comes down and with her, he feels himself deflate. Her beautiful eyes, that shimmered like the moon and stars, were dull. How long had they been like that? How long had he ignored them?

"What do you want?" Her voice is ice and he steels himself, letting whatever fake-happy mask he held fall.

It was just him and Hinata. He'd messed up because he couldn't be vulnerable for Hinata, Sakura had drilled that much into his head last night. So, if being closed off had been his down-fall, he hopes opening up is his saving grace.

* * *

 _The second the assailant pulls a knife, Hinata freezes. It's stupid, she's fought people with weapons before. No family as rich as the Hyuuga and as strict as they allow their members to be defenseless. But she freezes because she can see the knife coming and it's too fast. Not something she can stop, not sweaty, exhausted after hours of training. She freezes, eyes wide open._

 _She sees the second Neji falls before her, slowly. Like witnessing a train wreck. Sees the moment the dagger pierces through his back, blood suddenly welling up in his mouth._

 _He falls and Hinata burns. Can't quite remember grabbing onto the closest things near her, but they soar through the air, wave after wave of thrown objects and suddenly, it's her and Neji only in the empty alleyway._

 _Grabbing her phone from the depths of her training bag, she fumbles, repulsively false smile on her face._

" _Hinata," Neji croaks eyes wide._

" _Shh, it's okay Neji-nii, don't speak. I'm just calling the hospital– Please don't speak. You'll be fine. We can make it through this, it's okay."_

 _The phone keeps ringing and ringing, until finally._

" _Hello Konoha Hospital, how may I help you?"_

" _My cousin's been stabbed in the back, we're about five minutes from the Maito Dojo. He's breathing shallowly, I don't know what to do."_

" _Okay I've dispatched an ambulance your way, I have a few questions in the meantime. Are you okay to answer them?"_

 _Hinata croaks out a yes, answering every question as thoroughly as possible. Where's the knife right now? Did she recognise the assailants? Was he still awake?_

 _She hangs up long before the ambulance arrives, fingers still weaving their way through Neji's hair with that false, reassuring smile plastered on her face._

 _Eventually, Neji stops breathing, keeps only a genuine smile on his face as he tells Hinata that she is so much stronger than she thinks. When he stops breathing, the rise and fall of his chest gone completely, a sob strangles from her throat and for three more agonising minutes, she sits there with Neji halfway in her lap cooling in the nighttime. The regret doesn't hit her until the grief destroys every shred of happy she had left._

* * *

She doesn't want to deal with him. Not can't deal with him, not unable to do so. She just doesn't want to.

It shows, in her stare. A disdainful look. Steeling himself, Naruto tries to let his nervous energy leave his body, leg bouncing. He feels speechless and hurt and wanting so badly. In turn Hinata only wished for him to leave, had given up on him when he had given up on her. Two months of silence had broken whatever faith she had in the blonde.

"I'm here to say I'm sorry– to say I messed up and let my problems become bigger than just me and because of that, I let four really fantastic people down."

She doesn't reply, eyes flashing, angry, upset.

"Why now?" She says when the silence has stretched too long and he remains with his pleading gaze.

"I– Your sister visited Ichiraku a bit ago, told me some...Things. About you liking me and it made me think I might have, overreacted when you confessed. I assumed that with your confession and everything that us being friends was really you wanting to date me. You wanting that week of practice dating until you find 'the one' like everyone else I've known."

Hinata's eyes glazed over with something, odd. Chilling yet fierce, fiery. She looks down at her curled fist and then up again at him. Frowning, her voice bites out in a low, harsh tone.

"You– You thought I was using you? Do you really think so lowly of me?"

"No!" He pauses desperately trying to catch her gaze though she resolutely bores into the nothingness behind him, ", I mean– I thought you could but not because of you! It's, it's a pattern. People use me, date me and leave me. I didn't believe it could break, especially not because of someone who made me as happy as you did."

She scoffs angrily, arms crossed as she begins to pace, furious stare settling all around him, " I don't understand it, Naruto. How do you misunderstand my feelings for you, Naruto? How does any of this seem right to you Naruto? You were supposed to be my friend and you just left. You left when I obviously needed someone," her voice gets choked.

Naruto barely keeps from flinching as he too stares down at his figure. His feet tense and he breaks out a soft sigh. Honesty he reminded himself.

* * *

" _You seem happy. Happier than usual, I guess," Neji notes randomly, taking a seat on the ground next to Naruto._

 _Naruto hums, wistfully watching Hinata splash in the water with Akamaru and Kiba, "I am...It's fun having something to do other than work and study, you feel?"_

 _Neji doesn't reply, keeping his gaze firmly on his cousin. He nods gently._

" _You've helped her. A lot. Hinata doesn't get close or comfortable with many, despite being her friends for nearly four years she still sometimes refers to Tenten and Lee as my friends...She's using the word our more often now. Our friends, our family, our school...It's a good change. Seeing her more confident, it makes me feel more at ease, less protective of her. I feel like I could leave her be for once, and not have to worry about her at all...It's a good feeling."_

 _Naruto hums as if listening, but his eyes remain too far away and fond to be truly attentive. Rolling his eyes, Neji stands and strips his top._

" _If all you are doing today is watching them have fun, then you're wasting the day, Naruto," with that the elder teen runs off and into the water, reappearing beside his cousin._

 _Startled but mirthful, Hinata slings an arm around him while a disgruntled Kiba hurls himself forward in a faux threatening manner and Akamaru yips angrily. Laughing at the display, Naruto too strips his shirt and catapults himself into a bomb near the trio. Shino sits at the river bank with his bugs and says nothing, but a smile threads itself onto his cheeks and stays there._

* * *

"Sometimes," he starts softly, because part of him was still so comfortable with Hinata, "I do this thing where I get an idea in my head and I make it huge. It could start with something small like, I don't like eating menma as much as I do other toppings and I just. I start thinking that one little thought so much that two days later, I could refuse to even let it be served as a topping. And it's like, why? Why did I suddenly decide to hate it when two days ago I could eat it fine? And I don't know why, but my brain it just builds these little things into these big things and I get obsessive over it and I don't know why but I do that all the time."

Hinata's face scrunches up in confusion as she bites out, "That doesn't make sense. How am I anything like a food condiment? How do you decide to just hate me after being my best friend Naruto? After seven months of constant contact. That's like deciding not to like cinnamon buns after you've already eaten a whole packet of them."

Frustration bit Naruto as he messed with his hair, holding his hands up in a defeated sigh.

"I know it doesn't make sense, I know sometimes I can be stupid but that's not the point, I just–"His thought process stuttered to a halt as Hinata stood staunchly before him, faces so close they could share the same breath.

"You just what, Naruto? You just come waltzing in like the past two and a half months never happened? Like saying that sometimes you can be stupid is anything like an apology for treating me like I wasn't worth the breath you breathe? As if being here does anything but hurt me? Because all you've been doing is getting the knife and digging it in and I don't want to hurt anymore Naruto."

Naruto's never seen Hinata so angry, he's seen her annoyed and nervous and happy, but never angry. It's so bad that he's fascinated by how she wears anger, how it seems more shawl than cloak. Visible, but lightly so, just covering her enough to be noticed. Whenever anger appeared on Sasuke, Sakura and Iruka, it seemed to cover them like a too large cloak. Swallow them with red faces and loud voices and bodies itching for something. On Hinata it feels cold, almost calculated.

Pursing his lips, Naruto waited for Hinata's body to calm down. Sakura and Sasuke were quick to anger and he had learned through trial and error to tip-toe ever so slightly around their anger. Even if Hinata didn't seem like their type of angry, he didn't want to step into any minefields straight away. Content that she had finished her rage for now, Naruto looks at Hinata and cracks the smallest grin.

A sheepish, apologetic, sincere grin.

"I don't want to hurt you either Hinata. I know that saying sorry isn't much, but I am. I am sorry for pushing you away and I don't know how I can prove to you I'm sorry, but I am. I just– I miss you so much. I miss being with you and talking to you– I miss seeing your smile, because it makes me so happy. And I don't know how to makes this better but please, can we try?"

Throughout his speech Hinata's face had warred between hopeful and angry. Now, she stood speechless.

"I don't want to get hurt anymore," she breathed out, eyes downcast and fingers pressed together, an old, nervous tick.

Naruto, with a sudden ache of confidence grabbed her left hand and held it to their side. It suddenly hit Hinata how close they stood, how even now she felt a low flutter in her chest. Not as prominent as it was a few months ago, but undoubtedly there.

"Trust me, please," Naruto continued.

Hinata shook her head feeling the forming of tears she had been holding in since this conversation began, Hinata was scared. She couldn't trust him, not after him not talking to her. Not looking at her. After him full-blown ignoring her when he had to have known she needed him. Or needed someone. She couldn't trust him.

But she wanted to trust him. Wanted to believe that they could become friends again. That he meant it when he said he missed her.

"I can't," she bit out as shame consumed her.

She needed to stop crying but the tears fell even as she begged them to stop.

Annoyed at himself and the situation, Naruto sighed as he lifted his free hand up to wipe her tears. He didn't want her to cry, didn't want to ever see her cry again.

"I don't ever want to hurt you again, please Hinata. I miss my best friend."

Large, pale lavender eyes peered at Naruto as he called her his best friend. Something in her lifted and fell in the same instance. Just do it, her mind whispered, accept him. He hurt because of her as well, her heart reasoned. Naruto hurt because of you and he wants to try again anyway.

It's that thought that resonates in her head. Naruto hurt as well, but he was willing to try, so why couldn't she?

Taking a shaky breath, Hinata smiled through it, softly glancing to Naruto.

"Do you trust me?" He asked with a hopeful gleam in his gorgeous azure gaze.

She shook her head and watched him bite back a wince, but she squeezed his hand so their gaze didn't break. So he kept looking only at her. Only her for once. And it ached, it ached because she was still lonely, missing a brother, with self-esteem issues the size of their whole continent but damn it she wanted to just try. Try for herself, to see if maybe Naruto is as worth it as she had hoped and if she is as strong as she had hoped.

Kiba and Shino would be so against it, there's a thousand reasons to deny Naruto. They're obviously two very different, very emotionally fueled people; together they're a dangerous combination. A thousand reasons to say no, but she only needed one to say yes.

She only needed to know that he would try too.

"I don't trust you but, I want to try."

Relieved, Naruto's hesitant grin became a large, beaming smile as he pulled Hinata in for a hug. He wasn't asking for forgiveness, he just wanted a chance and that she gave it filled him with a warm, bubbly feeling.

Yeah, he decided as this dark cloud seem to be lifted off his shoulders. He really liked Hinata.

* * *

" _Will you tell him?" Neji asks in the dead of the night._

 _The duo stroll through the maze of Hyuuga company cars, searching for the one they had driven here with._

 _Hinata hums, wondering as she loops her arm in with her cousin's, thinking carefully of how much Naruto had come to mean to her since he'd stopped being Uzumaki-kun._

" _I don't know. I– I sometimes think it will hurt less if I keep these feelings to myself, than if I let them come tumbling out in front of him. I'm worried he'll see how much of a mess I am and deny me the pleasure of being even just his friend."_

 _Neji shakes his head, jutting his elbow out slightly just to bump her, "You worry too much, if you are clear with him then all will end well. There's no way Naruto would purposely hurt you."_

 _She shakes her head, dragging her wayward cousin towards his car. She answers him only when they're opening the door, having searched for something to say._

" _I don't think Naruto is capable of hurting me on purpose, no. But he has done it countlessly before, has stayed quiet when I wished only for him to speak to me. To speak kinder of me. Dated others and smiled less because of it. I fear becoming that. Becoming someone who makes his smile wane. He tries his hardest to make others happy, but if I ever confess to him, I want to mean it. Mean it and have it mean something to him as well."_

 _Neji adjusts his belt and starts the engine, "That's a lot to ask for. But if how he stared at you and Kiba today means anything, I think he'll know." She smiles at him, stomach fluttering at the admission, "But he's a dumbass so it might take a while."_

" _Nii-san," she whined out, eyes rolling._

 _Smirking, Neji reverses from the park and the duo trek home in comfortable silence._

* * *

 **Kua roa te wā, kāore rawa au e mōhio kua ahatia tēneki paki, heoi anō māu kē e whakarite wōu na whakaaro. Suuuh dudes, I've arisen from the dead but just barely, there's still a whole part to come and none the motivation to write. Ko te manako ia kāore e kino katoa tēnei wāhanga pērā me taku i whakapae ai. Hope y'all like it bc it was a bih to write and I'm not fully satisfied but y'know this is my most satisfied version of this chapter so, whatever goes I guess.**

 **Coming soon: Gaara is introduced with a mentor who Kiba instinctively can't trust, Team 8 meet more Jinchuriki and I stop posting spoilers for stories I ain't even posted yet :))) Alternatively in Seven Day's Naruto grows tf up, Hinata learns how to communicate like an adult and Hiashi cameo bc he can? Til 2020 my dudes! Nah, but until next time and ty for reading this far!**


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